Alternate Plans
by Kyoto141092
Summary: Say goodbye Minato cause Naruto...Sahashi?...is on the scene. I guess...But how will Naruto cope with being thrown into the Sekirei world as it's main man. Who knows, but this adventure is starting NOW! /NarutoXharem-his Sekirei of course /fluff, Lemons later on! P.S. it's gonna be a long...and bumpy ride.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello my friends. This story has been rewritten! Not significantly of course, but enough to warrant redoing the chapters. I've taken a few small things out and put a few things in. I've also condensed the chapters from their previous small 2k-5k chapters too around 9k-10k. So instead of 13 chapters there will be 8 so far.**

 **So without further adieu! Chapter one all over again!**

 **(Don't own Sekirei or Naruto in any way)**

 ** _Chapter 1_**

The lightning bolt came out of nowhere and caught her in the shoulder. Pain blinded her for a second before she became fully aware of her surroundings. She cursed to herself, _"_ _Damn who ever thou art...! Sneak attacks are not the Sekirei way!"_ She shouted to her unknown attacker, "Who be out there, Show thyself!"

Even as she spoke a woman wearing the most... inappropriate costume leapt up onto the roof of the building. Tsukiumi eyed her angrily demanding, "Does thou care nothing for rules of engagement?! You are Sekirei correct! Thou must fight me fairly!"

The woman shrugged her purple clad shoulders in a uncaring way. "Your unwinged, so how could you understand rules of engagement?" A smirk tugged at her lips. "We actually know how to fight"

 _"_ _We?!"_

Tsukiumi whirled around on instinct to catch a second bolt of lightning in the chest. There was a second woman behind her, the tips of her fingers still smoking from the last blast of power. The second attacker shouted loudly, "We are Hikari and Hibiki!, numbers 11 and 12!" She cast a look of complete confidence at the other woman.

Tsukiumi realized that they had planned this all along.. _"They were hunting me..."_ It galled her to be tricked like this. The two of them had probably been watching her for days. Another thing that was clear was that they were siblings. Their appearances were nearly the same, save for the length of the hair and the sternness of expression. This was bad...very bad. Sibling Sekirei were very rare and tended to operate in pairs. For good reason too. Their powers often complimented each other as it was with these two. _"_ _They wield Lightning againt me. My water isn't effective when I am cornered. I must escape!"_

Both women started to step towards her and Tsukiumi drew on her power...but it didn't respond to her call. One of them, Hibiki, said, "Don't bother trying to fight us now. You see our lightening is somewhat deadly to unwinged Sekirei like you. Where normally it would merely do physical damage...since you're unwinged, it cuts you off from your power temporarily."

The other girl giggled. "You're at our mercy right now...but don't worry. We're doing you a favor." A deadly spark entered her eyes as lightning once again gathered around her.

"If thy refuses to follow rules then I will decline to fight you! Goodbye foe!" Tsukiumi dashed to her left and off the roof, plummeting to the ground below. Her heels touched the ground and she was off, but she could hear the jagged sound of lightning behind her. Those two were giving chase. _"I refuse to be caught! Not when I have yet to prove myself!"_ She sprinted through the city street, past the people. They barely noticed the blur that were the three Sekirei

. Tsukiumi knew that she was in trouble. If she couldn't get out of range then they would catch her and... if not kill her, then remove her Sekirei mark and with that any chance of winning the Sekirei plan.

She turned left down an alley and down the dark pathway. A few seconds later she was coming into the light again. Her eyes caught a figure moving into the light outside. She cursed and came to a halt. Enemy in front and footsteps behind. She glanced behind her and saw the first girl from earlier. She was breathing hard and looked exasperated. She shouted indignatly, "Stop running already! You're not going to escape us!"

Tsukiumi looked back in front of her and saw Hikari with electricity building along her arms and twining through her fingers. "Don't try to run this time. I'll just electrocute you."

Tsukiumi took a step forward towards her. "Don't you dare!" Pain and heat flared up her back as she shouted. The other one...just..., _"Damn!"_ Tsukiumi dropped to her knees thinking, _"It shouldn't be this effective...Why can't I...curse this useless power..."_ Her teeth clenched with the strain of not falling to the ground. The lightening in her seemed to be doing more damage even as it circulated. It was excruciating, tearing though her muscles, causing them to spasm uncontrollably. She looked up into the dark silhouette of her attacker, _"How can thou be stronger than I?"_

Then a dark shape separated from the shadows of the alley and punched out. The blow connected with Hikari's head and sent her reeling into the alley wall. Tsukiumi felt a strong had grab her and drag her out of the alley and down the street. She couldn't keep her feet... Black was creeping in on the edges of her vision. Who ever had grabbed her had doubled back and was supporting her, even as she lost consciousness. She saw bright blue eyes... blond... hair... tanned skin...

Then nothing as unconsciousness took her.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

There was a rustle of cloth as Tsukiumi shifted under thick blankets. She groaned at her sore muscles and stretched, trying to relieve the pain. Realization struck her and she shot to a sitting position and the room spun around her, her vision doubling for a brief moment. Tsukiumi felt cool air on her skin...her belly and breasts... She looked down and found herself naked. An exclamation left her before she could stop herself, "WHO THE FUCK UDRESSED ME!"

The shout bounced off the walls and alerted the boy sitting at a desk in the corner to her awakened state. He looked back at her. She caught his gaze and felt anger rise inside her. This...young man would DIE! She gathered her power to blast him to pieces...when he pointed to a basket beside her. Momentarily nonplused she looked to where he pointed.

There was a white basket full of charred clothes. Her eyes popped open wide and she gritted her teeth before turning back to him, ready to shout again. He was turned away from her writing. Her eyebrows knitted together at his careless attitude. It reminded her of her two attackers. After a moment he finished writing and stood up, turning to her. Hurriedly she pulled up the blanket from where she realized she was sitting on a low bed. His cheeks were pink as he handed her a piece of paper with a tidy scrawl across it.

She read the note out loud. _"Sorry about the clothes but they were falling off you when I got you here and I don't have any girls clothes here."_

She looked up at him. He looked pained and embarrassed at the same time. "Why does thou write instead of speaking?

He pointed to his throat and then made a gesture like punching. She didn't understand and asked, "I still don't...?"

Taking the piece of paper from her and pulling a pencil from his pocket he used the side of the bed to write a new message, _"A guy tried to mug me yesterday. Punched me in the throat so I can't talk right now. Sorry for the trouble."_

That cleared things up a bit for her. He wasn't trying to be dense and he didn't seem to be stupid. She understood that speaking caused him pain and she couldn't fault him for that, but...why had he helped her. "Why did thy aid me yesterday. It twas my fight and mine alone!"

He wrote quickly, _"You looked like you were in trouble, besides it was unfair...two on one. I wouldn't even have been there if I wasn't going to get medicine for my throat."_

Tsukiumi felt rather foolish for getting so angry now. However rather than apologize she asked, "Does thou have a name young man?"

 _"Naruto Sahashi, nice to meet you.. what is your name?"_

She drew herself up to her full (sitting) height. "I am #9 Tsukiumi, pleased to meet you as well." She proffered one hand and he shook it. Tsukiumi was glad he didn't crush her hand like some men would. It seemed he was the honest and helpful sort. She found herself thinking that he was the first human she hadn't found distasteful... _"He seems different somehow...I must observe him."_ It occurred to her that he was also only the fourth male she had any dealings with o far so she could easily be mistaken about him. Tsukiumi decided to keep to the edge. She didn't want this...human...kind or not, to think he was above her.

Just at that moment they both heard her stomach growl. She smiled sheepishly. Naruto looked at her thinking, " _She acts really serious, but that makes her look kinda ridiculous after all of that fancy talk."_ He asked, writing _, "Do you want to go out to eat?_ _I know a great place close by and you could wear some of my old clothes till you get new ones."_

Tsukiumi felt her face turn red. She blurted, "GO OUT!? Who do you think you are boy! I was starting to think you were ok, but now you're asking for a DATE!?"

Naruto tried to placate her, hurriedly writing _, "No, that's not what I was implying at all! It's just that my mom sends me only a small amount of money while I study for school and I haven't been shopping lately. There's no food in here."_

That put things more in perspective for her and she forced herself to calm down. She sighed. "I won't wear clothes other than my own. Couldst thou go to the market and bring food back?"

He shrugged letting out a pent up breath. Naruto stood and went to get ready to go. She watched him prepare. He was tall and relatively slim, though he had broad shoulders and strong legs. His skin was tanned and he had blue eyes that complimented his spiky blond hair. His most unusual feature was perhaps his cheeks, which bore three horizontal black lines across either side. Tsukiumi saw that he was good looking and... seemed a bit familiar, but she couldn't place it. As though she had seen someone similar to him recently, but she couldn't think of where.

After a few minutes he croaked out past his damaged throat, "See...you..I'll be back in a few minutes... be quiet." That last comment sounded more like an order...and it was also unreasonable.

"Don't order me around. I'm not your servant. I'll be loud if I want."

Naruto hurried across the room and got out the pencil and paper again. He was writing for a while when he finally handed it to her. It read... _"Sorry, but you have to be quiet or I'll get kicked out of this apartment. The old man who runs this place forbids couples or roommates. If he sees you here I'll be out on the street...ok. Please be quiet. I'll be back in a bit with food..."_

Tsukiumi nodded and turned her head to look out the window which was by the bed. She heard the door open and then close. She glanced quickly back at the door, then swung her feet out of bed. Testing her strength and balance she walked around the room. It seemed as though she had her full strength back, despite being sore. Her steps were easy as she made her way to where her clothes were. She bent down to lift them up and the edges crumbled into ash. She sighed, but started as the doorbell rang.

Keeping silent she crept to the door and peeked through the little eye hole. She saw an extremely tall man in a black suit outside. He was wearing an MBI pin. She quickly opened the door, nearly falling over as he thrust a package at her and then turned to leave. Confused she closed the door with her knee and took the box to the bed.

It opened to reveal her usual black outfit. Everything was there. She sighed in relief and got dressed. Then a thought entered her mind. The image of those two girls that had ambushed her. Rage suffused her and he opened the window and leaped out. She was going to hunt them down and have herself a rematch. She never even bothered looking back as she landed on a close by roof top.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Naruto had finished shopping and was just leaving the drug store. He had bought a bottle of pain killer and some special medicine to help heal his throat. The pain killer he took immediately and then swallowed a gel tablet that was mixed with the medicine. Almost as soon as it went down, his throat started feeling better. He tried speaking and found his voice to be stable...if a bit rough. _"_ _Well, It'll have to do. Sucks getting punched in the throat…"_

He continued walking back to his apartment, his thoughts focused on the bizarre encounter with those two girls. They had...like lightning shooting out of their fingertips. It was almost like magic. He looked up at the sound of voices and he saw...the two girls from the previous day. They were talking to a man who had just bought a newspaper. They were dressed like maids and neither of them looked particularly happy. Naruto's eyebrows met in a V above his eyes which had grown stormy.

He marched up to them and grabbed the nearest one by her shoulder, whirling her around. He asked, "Hey you! What did you want with Tsukiumi?!" The girls had both turned to him, in shock mostly. The girl he had grabbed was sporting a small bruise on her cheek. Naruto narrowed his eyes..."Why Did You Attack Her?!"

 **Ooo**

Hikari took the man's money and handed him the news paper. He was walking down the sidewalk when she felt a hand on her shoulder. It spun her around as a rough voice demanded to know why they were after someone. Then she realized it was the man from the previous day. He looked extremely pissed and ready to lash out at her. _"Oh shit he looks like an Ashikabi...no wonder he nailed me like that...!"_

Her sister must have come to the same conclusion because she spoke quickly, "It's our policy only to go after unwinged Sekirei." Hikari nodded quickly in agreement.

The boy looked at them severely and growled, "Well I don't care... Yesterday was the first time I've hit a girl, but if you go after her again...I'll do it a second time..." He gritted his teeth. "I hate bullies ok..." He drew his hand back and his look softened, "Sorry about punching you...but you were asking for it."

They were both taken off guard that he would threaten a Sekirei without backup. Not to mention twin Sekirei like them. Hibiki muttered uneasily, "Ok...sure...no need to punch anything alright..! We get them message and we promise not to fight her again...you happy with that?"

Naruto nodded and, still frowning slightly, walked past them.

Hibiki shivered as he past. Just for a moment there he had an aura...like sheer peril was hanging over them... Either that or a horde of blood thirsty demons were about to pounce on them. Both she and her sister let themselves relax as he disappeared around a corner.

"He looked like Seo does when he's pissed."

Hibiki nodded, her expression showing both fear and relief. Still uneasy they went back to selling their news papers.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

The apartment was empty and there was a box on the bed. The window was open and Tsukiumi was most defiantly...gone. Somewhat annoyed, he spoke to the empty apartment. "Well that was pointless. I guess that means she wasn't interested in food after all. She just wanted me out of the room so she could leave without feeling embarrassed. This is great... well hopefully she won't get attacked again... Damn! I never asked her what was up with all that crazy magic stuff. Can't believe I forgot!"

Grumling he went to put away the groceries. Then he used more of the throat medicine. After that he didn't see much point in going out to look for her. Besides...he had a big test the next day and he...REALLY needed to pass this time.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Tsukiumi found her attackers passing out newspapers while wearing maids costumes. She landed, unseen, on the rooftop above them. She thought mischievously, _"Let thou try to use lightning against me when thou are soaked!"_ She gathered the water from the air around her and formed it into a massive ball of water that hovered above both their heads...and their stack of papers.

Then she dropped it. The waterfall caught them both in its freezing torrent. Both nearly had heart attacks at the ice cold water, their outfits instantly soaked as was all their newspapers. It was several seconds before they were able to move. When they did they looked up and Tsukiumi, unable to help herself, dropped another waterfall on them. They both screamed as the chill water washed over them. Tsukiumi jumped down on them, ready to attack again.

They both saw her at the same time and they threw their hands up in surrender. One pleaded, "Please no more! We already promised your Ashikabi that we wouldn't fight you!"

Had the comment not been so repulsive it might have been confusing. As it was she blasted them against the building behind them, roaring, "I have no Ashikabi. I will become the single strongest Sekirei without one! Now who dares claim to be my Ashikabi!?"

Hikari mumbled, "No one...! We just assumed that when he found us and threatened to beat us up if we attacked you again... we naturally thought he had winged you..."

That stopped her in her tracks... Had Naruto come and told these two...actually extracting a promise out of them, to leave her alone? She thought he had been kind, but it seemed he could pull his own weight too. "Where didst he go!?"

Hibiki and Hikari shared a look. They both asked, "You weren't winged then?"

"Of course not! I would never let any man touch me in such a way!"

Hikari, despite being soaked to the skin was amused by this. It seemed as though #9 Tsukiumi was slightly mistaken about what it took to be winged. Thinking that she had the upper hand now she said slowly, "You do know that you only need to kiss to be winged...right?"

Tsukiumi felt like she'd been slapped. Her jaw dropped and she let her shock show for a full minute before asking... "A kiss... that is all...?"

Hibiki nodded, a smile starting to crack her otherwise miserable expression. Tsukiumi's cheeks began to burn red and she whirled around so the two of them couldn't see her face. "So...where didst Naruto go?"

Hikari raised an eyebrow suggestively asking her own question, "Are you thinking of getting yourself winged now... by that _handsome_ blond boy?"

Tsukiumi wheeled at them her cheeks bright red. "No...Of course...not..I would never...! Now where did he go?!"

They pointed down the street in unison. One saying, "He probably went home don't you think?" They both smiled as Tsukiumi walked past them at a measured pace, with her head held high. As she left Hikari asked, "Does it seem like we are getting the trounced far more than our fare share? Her sister nodded looking down at her wet costume. "Yeah...now we have to find a new job since this one is over."

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Tsukiumi looked and looked for Naruto, but he was nowhere to be found. She wanted to find him...mainly to thank him for helping her. At least, that's what she told herself. It would only be polite to thank him and return the favor. And maybe, just maybe... he would offer to take her out to dinner.

But as it was, he was gone, as though he had never been, and she couldn't remember where his apartment was. It was making her... not worry, but... concerned. That was the word she was looking for. She didn't know if he was alright. After all he didn't know what the Sekirei plan was and he seemed to have an unnatural propensity for finding trouble. Mainly in the form of violent Sekirei.

At the moment she stared out over the roof tops and hoped he was ok. It was all she could do.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

 _-the next day 12:30-_

Naruto walked out of the Highschool building. He had passed...thank god. Well maybe the man upstairs had nothing to do with it. He'd studied for weeks to get into that damned school. He would finally be able to give his mother some good news. Not to mention being able to get his sister off his back. There was one monkey he'd be glad to be rid of.

He looked around as he kept strait south down the sidewalk, his thoughts once again turning to the evens of the past two days. He hadn't so much as glimpsed Tsukiumi and it set him on edge for no apparent reason. His feet took him on a smooth course down the path he took to his apartment almost every week. It was easy to think when you had a well traveled path to travel again. You could let your mind wander.

Naruto abruptly stopped in the middle of the street. He looked around as a sixth sense warned him of danger. Then there was a boom and a crackle from somewhere nearby. It was an odd sound like the harsh cawing of birds. Then he looked up and saw a girl... falling out of the sky. Reflexively he jumped to the left and crouched slightly. She landed in his arms, the impact nearly sending him to his knees. He looked into soft brown eyes. "Hello..."

She responded after a second smiling hugely. "Hi...I'm Musubi #88." She glanced down and seemed to realize he was holding her in his arms. She was about to speak when two purple streaks landed in front of them.

Naruto immediately recognized the two girls from earlier. They were back to wearing their weird S&M costumes. It crossed him mind that they were after _this_ girl now. His expression switched to anger in a split second. They had some answering to do.

 **Ooo**

Hikari and Hibiki landed on the concrete with as much grace as they could muster at that speed. They had been chasing that girl forever and damn! She had enough stamina for three people. Hibiki had almost gotten her face smashed a couple times. The girl was a wild fighter, but fortunately for them it was two on one. They both stood up and met the wrathful gaze of the blond boy they had twice encountered already. He was holding the Sekirei they had been chasing in his arms. The girl was looking at them puzzled at their sudden stop.

Naruto's voice was low and cold as he glared at them. **_"Scram."_**

Hibiki paled and nodded taking a step backwards. He seemed to radiate darkness as his blue eyes drilled into them. A moment later the dark miasma coalesced into an indistinct shape behind him, two brooding crimson eyes flashing open. The two sisters took one look at it and bolted as fast as they could. Both were out of sight before Naruto could blink.

He set Musubi down gently on her feet, seeing that her clothes, which resembled a cross between a priestess kimono and boxing gear, were badly singed. She looked up at him. He looked down at her, there being a significant height difference. She had brown hair and large brown eyes that seemed to burn with an inner light. She was small, but extremely fit. Her tones muscles were masked by smooth pale skin. And she had the biggest pair of breasts she had ever seen on a girl her size. _"_ _Must restrain inner pervert…."_

His eyes shifted back to her face as she asked excitedly, "Who are you? You must be strong if they ran away just at the sight of you!"

Naruto shrugged and allowed his anger to slip away. He grinned at her. "Well I've met them before and they don't want to mess with me I guess."

Musubi nodded energetically, bouncing on her heels and putting her red gloved fist to her chest. "Thanks for catching me...!I wasn't thinking about how I was going to land that time." She smiled again and Naruto found himself develop an instant liking to her. The pure innocence and joy she radiated was quite infectious.

He asked, "Um...are you alright, I mean where are you from? Do you have a place to stay?"

It was a stupid question. Of course she had a place to stay. A girl like her could smile her way into any apartment she wanted... but then he saw her shake her head. "Nope. I'm not staying anywhere right now..." Her face seemed to light up, "...Wait are you?!"

He nodded dumbly. He thought, " _Is this girl real? I can't believe she's living outside. And what is with her and Tsukiumi anyway. What the hell is with these numbers that they put before their names?"_

"Do you want to come to my place and uh... tell me what is going on? Cause you're like the second girl that I've helped get away from those two." It felt like he was hitting on her and it was embarrassing.

"Can I? Great! , but I don't know how much I'm allowed to tell you." She shrugged, "where's your home at?"

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Thirty minutes later he found himself sitting across from her in his apartment. The walk back to his place had been...interesting. Musubi seemed infinitely curious and wanted to know everything about him. Besides that she seemed completely innocent (read ignorant). She didn't catch any subtlety in his language or tone. It was almost as though she was oblivious to body language or...well speech.

As for what he managed to glean from her, it wasn't much. But so far he knew there was some sort of huge contest, where teams of "Sekirei" and "Ashikabi" fought each other. He also learned that there were 108 Sekirei and most were female, but she wouldn't explain the purpose of this battle royal. In the end he was more confused than he had started. One actually useful piece of info he had gotten was that each Sekirei had his or her own special ability and...that included her. But that's where the usefulness ended. He had no clue what a "Fist type" was. Punching didn't seem like it could stack up against lightning in his mind.

Especially seeing how she was running away from the two lightning users just like Tsukiumi had been. That thought worried him for a moment. Would the "lightning twins" go after more Sekirei in this competition? Were they, even now, attacking some innocent girl? Naruto shook his head. He couldn't think along those lines or he'd go insane.

Instead he turned to Musubi and asked, "So there isn't anything else you can tell me?"

She looked thoughtful for a moment and then shook her head. As she did so, Naruto experienced a severe case of déjà-vu. Musubi's stomach growled ominously. "You want to get something to eat?"

"Yes please! I'm starving!" she shouted as she pumped both fists in the air.

They left the apartment to headed south. There was a great buffet place he knew about that was pretty inexpensive. It was a buffet, which was good since he didn't have much money to spare and it wouldn't matter how hungry Musubi was. _"_ _Besides… how much could a girl her size eat?"_

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Leaving the Buffet place an hour or so later Naruto felt like he had been outclassed. Musubi ate more in one sitting than he did in two and that was saying something. She wiped her mouth and stretched, her arms going up in the air. Naruto's eyes caught the movement of her breasts. Going... up, and going... down. Overriding the manual control system took a moment, but he was able to look up. "You feeling ok now right, cause that was enough food to sink a cruise ship you know."

She smiled widely and nodded. Then she finished stretching.

Naruto went ahead and asked what he'd been thinking for the last half an hour. "So um Musubi, You told me that you didn't have a place to stay, so I was thinking that you could stay with me for the moment." Her face whipped towards him. Tears already beading in her eyes.

"You would do that?...you saved me from those mean Sekirei,...you took me out to eat...and now to let me stay at your house...Thank you!" She hugged him around the waist. It made his stomach flutter slightly…. Even as her strength nearly broke his spine. _"_ _Holy FUCK she's strong…."_

"It's no problem really… I'm just happy you're ok..."

She let go of him hurriedly.

"Anyway let's get back to the apartment."

Musubi agreed and they started the long walk back to his place. They hadn't gone more than a couple of blocks when they saw a man...more of a boy though. He was wearing a loose white suit and had caramel colored hair. He had the most impudent smile Naruto had ever seen. It practically oozed self importance. There were two Sekirei with him. Naruto immediately realized what they were... something about what Musubi had said alerted him to the fact.

The boy gave the shortest bow Naruto had even seen since well…. The last time he'd bowed to someone. Then he spoke. "Hello...I'll be taking that Sekirei for my collection. You will stand aside unless you want to get hurt."

The two girls on either side of him tensed. One of them was wearing a yellow and black shirt and shorts. She had a long length of cord wrapped around one arm. The other girl held a large scythe in hand, the long blade forming a half crescent over her head. It was the scythe wielder who stepped forward now, her voice loud and imperious "I am #43 Yomi and this is #38 Mitsuha. We challenge you number 88!"

Musubi stepped forward grinning from ear to ear. "I accept your challenge I am #88 Musubi!"

Naruto grabbed her sleeve hurriedly before she could jump forward. "What are you thinking?! Are you really going to fight them?!" His chest tightened in fear. He knew what Sekirei could do. The lightning twins had only been bullied because of his KI, something he'd copied from his mother. And besides that, these two Sekirei were with their Ashikabi. He couldn't just glare at them and countermand their orders.

Musubi nodded. "It is part of the Sekirei plan. I must fight when challenged." She then walked out to stand just a few feet from Yomi. The other girl adjusted the scythe, bringing the blade to bear in front of her.

She smiled. "You will serve my master, but it's a pity that you will never have his favor like I do..."

They squared off and Naruto watched uneasily as they stood still. Then Yomi made the first move, leaping forward to cleave the air where Musubi's face was. Musubi ducked quickly and pounced forward to punch the other girl in the stomach. But Yomi was already leaping over her, the scythe circling around to slice just over Musubi's back. It missed skin by mere centimeters. Musubi jumped straight up using the backs of her armored gloves to block the next strike. Then followed an exchange of attacks that Naruto followed only because he'd taken martial arts. They were lightning fast and accurate. Musubi kept getting grazed and it seemed that she was being played with.

Naruto realized with a pang that it was true. Musubi's opponents was missing on purpose. A vindictive smile twisted her lips as she slowly cut Musubi's clothing off her. All she had to do was step up her game and Musubi might be missing a hand or a chunk of flesh to the black bladed scythe. Naruto looked to where the boy was watching the battle raptly...the other girl had her eyes on him. Her twin ponytails framed her face as her eyes locked on him. Naruto put all his concern for Musubi aside and radiated rage at her. Her eyes went wide and she took a step back, looking away from him.

At that moment Musubi tripped... Naruto saw it as if in slow motion. The blade coming around would catch her throat...

Yomi felt a flash of annoyance cross her mind. The girl had just tripped and he had already made her next swing. She wouldn't be able to divert her attack in time. He master would be angry with her for killing the girl. Then a fist, rock hard and well placed, smashed into her armpit. Yomi heard felt the cartilage in her shoulder grind and her hand dropped her weapon. The momentum spinning the blade around past Musubi's face. The point of the weapon burying itself in her own abdomen. _"_ _FUCK?!"_

Then a second blow came, aimed at her knee. She was already reeling from the first attack when it connected, sending her sprawling.

Naruto was past her in a second, ducking the lash of the second girls whip. He grabbed Musubi as he darted past. He dragged her to her feet and they ran, as fast as they could, down the alley to their right. Naruto's mind was racing. He had never used the crippling attacked he'd learned. They'd all been practice attacks. Nothing he was ever expected to use in a real fight. But he decided this time he had an excuse for it. He was glad that his mom had insisted on self defense classes. Naruto forced his thoughts back to reality as they burst out of the alley on the other side and turned North. They were sprinting, but Naruto felt Musubi's exhaustion. That fight had taken it out of her. _"She must have used everything she had just dodging all those attacks. Damn, I need to get her away. Why can't people leave us alone!"_ He turned them into another alley, thinking to throw off their pursuers. He needed to keep them out of visual contact for as long as possible. The longer they could stay out of sight, the more chances he gave their hunters to make a wrong turn in the pursuit.

But then he heard a shout from above him and he just barely managed to slip to the side as the scythe came from out of nowhere. It swept past his head like a massive black pendulum. His quick dodge caused him to lose his balance and he went sprawling. Musubi's momentum throwing her on top of him. Yomi landed behind them as the other girl... Mitsuha walked in the alley from the other side. Naruto pushed himself off the grimy concrete and sat up. Musubi slid to the side, breathing hard. Her face was flushed red.

Naruto stood up and placed himself between Yomi and Musubi. Mitsuha said from the other side of the alley, "Just give up! It's not like you're going to pull off two surprise attacks like that in a row. You got lucky."

Yomi growled. "Step aside or I'll cleave you in two!"

He clenched his jaw and growled right back, "Take your best shot, cause I won't let you lay a hand on her!" The two girls closed in on him and Mitsuha moved to grab his shoulder and force him out of the way. Before she could react, his leg was lifting as he snap-kicked her face. Her head took a short vacation to the concrete wall behind her and she slid down the alley wall clutching her face. Blood was already pouring from where his heel had cut her forehead and broken her nose.

Yomi swung her scythe at him and Naruto leapt forward, inside the reach of the blade and brought his palm up into her chin...but she turned to the side in time and his hand grazed her head. So instead he turned the palm strike into and elbow strike, pummeling her chest. She winced and cursed at him, vainly trying to back up quick enough to cut him on the scythe's recurved edge. Naruto grabbed the haft of the weapon and used her unnatural strength against her, throwing his head forward into her throat. She coughed and almost fell, but she was made of sterner stuff than her companion. She took a step back and punched out. He couldn't dodge at this distance and he took the blow in the chest.

He heard a rib crack...there was way more force behind the punch than there should have been. It hurt like hell but he kept moving swinging his arm around to trap hers. She couldn't move without dropping her weapon...and that's what he would need to survive.

Sitting against the wall Musubi felt heat...like a warm spring bubbling up inside her chest. It was making her cheeks and neck turn red and the blush was still deepening. Her eyes tied to focus on the ground in front of her, but they refused to answer her command. The beat of her heart kept distracting her. A short shout made her lift her head. It was... Naruto... He was fighting... to protect her... He was going toe to toe with the scythe wielding Sekirei. Then as she watched the scythe drew back and the inner edge cut into Naruto's back. Blood spilled down his back and she saw the loose flap of his jacket. He was shoved back.

Naruto caught himself...just barely. She could see the strain in the set of his shoulders and the way his body heaved. Then he was flung backward as Yomi kicked him in the gut. He hit the wall and slid down grimacing at the pain. She crawled over to him. His face turned to her...he looked more angry than hurt.

Yomi paced back away from the blond boy. He'd really done a number on her. Her breath wheezed past her damaged trachea and her chest hurt. Her knee was throbbing and every time she moved her right arm a jolt of agony shot up her nerves. If it hadn't been for that pain she would have take him down with that first punch. But the guy so... so damned resilient! And he was as smart in combat as any Sekirei she'd fought. Even Mutsu wasn't quite so good with what he had. If he had her strength she would have lost that last bout.

Mitsuha stood up from where she had been resting against the wall. Her face was wet with blood and she looked extremely pissed. "I'm gonna fucking kill that boy whether he's a civilian or not." Yomi nodded and took a deep breath, still recovering her full strength. Behind her she heard whispering...

Naruto looked over to where Musubi was crawling over to him. Her face was red and her mouth was open slightly. She trembled every few seconds. It alarmed him to see her like that. Once she was next to him she managed to say, "Naruto san... I feel so... hot... please..." Naruto looked into her eyes, they were half lidded.

"Musubi chan?"

She pushed forward, forcing him to his elbows, "...What... should I do... Nar..uto..."

"What!?"

Musubi was getting so close, her body pressing to his. His hand came up trying to keep her a bay, but when his hand accidently touched her breast, he froze blushing even with the imminent danger. He tried to apologize even as her nose touched his. She whispered, "Naruto...kun..." Their lips met and Musubi closed her eyes. The kiss was... amazing. Naruto felt his own body heat up as light started to radiate from Musubi, It was a blinding lavender light that engulfed both of them. Naruto saw the outline of wings behind her...

Whirling around as she heard the whispers, Yomi realized she was already too late. Her Ashikabi had just stepped into the alley. "Aw...you failed again. Now she wings and we have to take her out." He shrugged. "I guess it's not that bad...take care of her Yomi." She nodded, preparing herself to attack. Mitsuha did the same beside her.

Musubi felt the heat spreading through her intensify. Strength was pouring into her from Naruto, like he was an endless well of power. She drank in his power as the light stabilized behind her, forming into glowing white wings. They flashed open wide as she stood up. She turned to Yomi and Mitsuha. They were looking at her warily Musubi reached for her power and called out, "By the fists of my contract, My Ashikabi's perils will be shattered!" Her body seemed to glow purple for a moment as she settled into a crouch. She smiled and clenched her fists, _"I will protect Naruto!"_ She flashed forward straight for Yomi.

Yome felt the impact in her chest before she saw Musubi move. The girl seemed to disappear and materialize inside her guard. Raising her Scythe to strike her she realized it was shattered. Her hands held a useless piece of metal and wood. Time seemed to slow down as Musubi lined up for another punch. It was going to be the end for her. She couldn't survive this...

WHAM!

Mitsuha saw Musubi lash out a second time and her blow smashed into Yomi. She flew backwards the two feet into the alley wall. Everyone heard the snap of bone and the crunch of her back breaking. Mitsuha winced and readied her whip to tangle #88 before she could attack again. That didn't work out, because Musubi turned to her and dashed forward. Her leg coming up. Mitsuha felt the impact of her leg against her head, and at the same time a fist caught her in the lower abdomen. The dual attack sent her reeling back down the alley.

Her master stepped forward and caught her grumbling, "You failed me... but at least you didn't lose completely... It's time to go. I won't lose two Sekirei today." He picked her up, struggling with her a bit. Then, he carried her down the street where his car waited.

Musubi turned back to Naruto as the sound of a helicopter could be heard overhead. He was standing up, using the wall as support. "Great job... Musubi-chan... ouch..." He winced putting a hand at his side. Hurriedly she ran to him, putting an arm around him and supporting him out of the alley. Naruto stopped her. "Wait! What about her?" He nodded back to the still body of Yomi. She was breathing... barely.

"She lost so she lost her Sekirei powers and will be removed from the game... but I won so I get to stay with Naruto-san!"

He blinked at her as if he didn't quite understand. Then his head dropped. She nudged him and his face lifted. He looked so tired. "Thanks... for helping... glad you're ok..." His head fell again and she realized he was unconscious.

Her hand flew to her mouth, _"Oh no... I have to get him to the hospital...but I don't really know where I am right now!?"_ She looked around desperate to figure out what direction to go. She heard a shout above her. Musubi looked up as a young blond woman dropped from the sky and landed in a spray of water droplets. She stood up and approached them her expresion worried.

"YOU! Who art thou? and What have thy done to Naruto?!"

Musubi thought she spoke funny but she answered, "Naruto-sama is my Ashikabi... he got hurt protecting me..." She looked sadly at him, "But I don't know where the hospital is..."

"Thy are his Sekirei...? Since when?"

Musubi smiled hesitantly. "Just a minute ago."

Tsukiumi shook her head. "Let me help girl. I know a special hospital run by MBI we take him there!"

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

 **And there is the end of chapter 1. Which as some might have noticed is basically chapter's 1 & 2 with corrections and a bit of reformatting. **

**Anyway, just because this is a redo, don't hesitate to review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 is along again! Not much to say until the next chapters come out!**

 **(Don't own Sekirei or Naruto)**

 ** _Chapter 2_**

Tsukiumi sat in the hospital waiting room with Musubi. The girl was worriedly looking at the door, hoping that the nurse would come in and give them news. They didn't even know what his condition really was. It was aggravating. She wanted to go in and see him. It occurred to her that he had become what she despised most. A male Ashikabi, but she had grown... attached to the thought of talking to him again. And besides that, she told herself that he hadn't been an Ashikabi when they first met so he couldn't have changed… right?

Tsukiumi felt herself nodding off as she sat in the unusually comfortable waiting seats. Her eyes drifted closed and her head dropped.

 _-The roof top was wide and clear of the usual detritus of the city. A clean white slate. Tsukiumi stood looking out over the city. It seemed still and silent. Just the kind of thing the city never actually was. There was a sound behind her and she turned to see Naruto. Relief made its presence known on her features. He was sitting at the edge of the roof with his feet over the side._

 _She walked over and asking, "Naruto? Is that you?" He didn't respond, but he did look back at her. He smirked and turned back to watching the cityscape. After she had grown tired of waiting for him to respond she opened her mouth to speak, but he stopped her._

 _"You're my Sekirei..."_

 _Her face burned white hot with rage and she shouted, but no sound came out. He turned to her again, getting to his feet as their eyes met. He stood in front of her and put his arms around her, pulling her into his embrace. She couldn't move and her body was starting to feel hot and weak. He pressed his forehead to hers, saying, "Tsukiumi number 9... be my Sekirei..." His hands were in her hair then brushing her cheeks and holding her chin. Her rage melted away and her heartbeat started to jump hard in her chest. He was too close...-_

Tsukiumi shot to her feet like she'd sat on a hot iron. Her heart was pounding so fast she could hear it beat. Had she really been dreaming about being winged by Naruto. It was... repulsive... enticing... unacceptable... and terribly confusing. She turned to Musubi frantically, needing something to distract her from a looming migraine. "Let us go to Naruto's home. Thy Ashikabi should have his effects."

Musubi nodded and jumped to her feet ready to go. "Do you know where his apartment is?

Tsukiumi shook her head.

"Then follow me, I know the way."

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Naruto jolted awake in his own bed. His phone in his jacket was ringing loudly. He hurriedly reached over the side of the bed and grabbed it out of the pocket. He flipped it open and answered, "Hello?"

It was his mother _. "Naruto! How are you doing? Did the test go well?"_

He sighed painfully, "Yeah it went fine but I got some bad news for you."

She sounded worried _. "What...don't tell me you passed with a low score, you studied for two years!"_ Her worried tone was more miffed than worried he realized.

"No mom, I got in another fight and got my ass kicked."

Her breathing on the other side of the line slowed. _"What happened?"_

He began, "Well I was leaving the school after finishing the test...I had a perfect score by the way. And this girl jumps of a rooftop right on top of me. And I manage to catch her, but there are these two girls chasing her and I'd seen them before. They must have had some kind of... I don't know, gauntlet or something cause they had lightning shooting from their hands. And I know it sounds crazy already so let me finish. After that I told them go get lost... I tried using that thing you and grandma do... Seemed to work, anyway she said she didn't have a place to stay so I took her back to my apartment. Turned out she was starving so we went down to that big buffet place I told you about last week."

Naruto took a long breath and started again."So when we came out there were three people waiting for us. There was this kid, younger than me in a white suit and two girls wearing... weird costumes. Hell they must have just come from a cosplay convention since one had a black scythe and the other had a whip. Musubi actually insisted on fighting with the scythe girl...I think her name was Yomi."

Naruto's mother cut in _. "Did you have any contact with this Musubi girl before hand?"_

He said no scratching his head and wondering why his mother wanted to know that. He shook his head and continued. "Well they start fighting and I mean they are really going at it, when I realize that Yomi is just playing and she could slice Musubi up any time. Then Musubi trips and I take the chance to take Yomi down. I hit her in the armpit which ended up causing her to stab herself with her scythe. I take Musubi and go running..."

Naruto finished telling the story up until the part where Musubi kissed him. There he stopped wondering if his mom would think he was insane.

Her voice came over the line, concerned, " _Naruto...hello...did something happen?"_

"No, it's just you'll think I'm crazy for sure if I told you the next part."

She said dryly, _"I already think you're crazy...just finish what you were saying."_

That made him smile. His mom always knew how to get him talking. "Well Yomi kicked me in the gut and I hit the wall by Musubi. Then while they were busy Musubi crawled over to me and... uh... kissed me... I'm not sure what happened after that, but she stood up and beat the living hell out of Yomi and the other girl. I... don't really remember much after that…"

 **ooo**

Takami put her hand over her forehead and silently groaned as Naruto continued speaking. This was really a pain in the rear. She never wanted him to get involved, but she guessed that there was no way that was going to happen. Naruto had obviously winged #88 Musubi and was officially an Ashikabi. She would need to talk to Minaka to make sure he didn't try to get Naruto more involved than he already was. She also needed to look over the satellite footage of the battle, if there was any, to verify what he had said. It was hard to believe that he had fought Yomi up close and personal and done any damage at all. She thought, _"Yomi...that bitch who gave me this scar... Hope Naruto did some serious damage to that one. She deserves it."_

Naruto was talking again but something had distracted her. A beeping sound coming from the computer that rested on the table before her. It was the emergency signal that Minaka used only for her. She cursed and said into the phone, "Naruto! There's an emergency on my end, I'll call you later...love you bye!" She closed the cell phone and sprinted out of the room, running down the long hall to Minaka's personal rooms. She used her key card to open the door and stepped through.

The main room was empty so she quickly walked to the left, and into his "Game Room" It was a space filled from floor to ceiling with bright computer screens. They ran data and compiled statistics for the Games. Minaka was sitting back in his armchair. He looked completely relaxed which n turn caused her eye to twitch in irritation, _"Sometimes..."_

"What is it Minaka?!"

He swiveled around smiling. "Well I thought you would want to know... Naruto just became an Ashikabi... and you'll never guess where he is right now and what's happening!"

A thought entered her mind that things must be messed up if Minaka was happy with the situation. He swiveled back around and enlarged an image over four screens. It showed an aerial view of the MBI's main hospital. Minaka zoomed in on one of the windows. Takami realized that he had hijacked one of the surveillance satellites for his own use. _"_ _Not exactly something that's hard to do under the circumstances…"_

She saw Naruto through the window of the hospital... just barely. Outside the window, sitting on the ledge was a woman. And just leaving the hospital were two more women. Minaka focused on the two girls. "See here, those are #9 and #88. Great isn't it. So #88 is the one that he winged and I'm guessing he's already close to #9 so it's only a matter of time." He refocused on the view through the window. "Ah ha.. look there. And that it is former #7 Akitsu. Wonder what she's doing there?"

Takami wanted to bash his head in for being so excited. But she would need to keep a close eye on Naruto so Minaka didn't get any bright ideas. To distract him she asked, "Who was former #7 again?"

Minaka turned around grinning, "Oh...that one..." He giggled helplessly. "Oh I messed with her a bit when she was first developing so when it came time for orientation... she winged automatically! So in effect she is a winged Sekirei without an Ashikabi."

That ticked her off. "Exactly how did you "mess" with her!?" It was an outrage that he would directly interfere with his plan that he made such a big deal about being, "Undiluted by human involvement"

"Well...you see the thing is, She winged herself basically. So even if someone who was a perfect match for her kissed her it wouldn't do anything. After she failed the orientation I made some adjustments on her. I altered the normal sequence. In effect resetting her to where she can be winged... twice. But the second time has to meet very specific circumstances. And it would make her even more powerful!"

She was hesitant to ask what these special circumstances were but she forced herself to do so. "What is needed for her to be winged a second time?" His grin vanished as he listed what needed to happen for a re-winging, "First! She has to be interested in her potential Ashikabi, by which I mean it has to be a good match already. After all the way all Sekirei are set up requires at least some compatibility. There are actually several instances when someone has failed to wind a Sekirei because they lack any emotional bond at all. We just don't hear about those here since there is no way to know if someone failed to wing one of them."

"Second, she needs to be in a state of confusion. This is mainly because it was one of the easier mental states to achieve with #7. She's confused about almost everything…. A deep thinker that one." He coughed lightly and pushed his glassed back up on his nose. "Third..." Minaka's smile returned, "She has to be in great pain."

He sat up straighter in his chair explaining, "You see all of this is needed simultaneously in order to reset the Sekirei symbol in its proper position."

Takami nodded. It made a warped kind of sense if you knew the inner workings of Sekirei. And both of them did. The weird thing was she had a feeling as though Minaka had planned this. And that feeling was both one she was accustomed to, and one she dreaded.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Naruto put the phone down and sighed, looking around the room. Slowly his mind drifted back to Tsukiumi. He hadn't forgotten his dream… about almost kissing her. It was like one of those dreams that makes you think of things in a different way. He wondered if he liked Tsukiumi. He hardly knew her. Didn't know much of anything about her, save that she was obviously a Sekirei. She had that number in front of her name. He figured that the number referred to the relative power of the individual. Musubi and Tsukiumi's numbers were on opposite sides of the spectrum, assuming that it was 1-100 scale. But he didn't know which way it went. Was #9 Tsukiumi the strong one, or the other way around?

Naruto looked out the large window to his left... and saw a girl. Well, a young woman. She was sitting on the edge of the long window ledge. He stepped out of bed and walked to the window, grimacing in pain. Drugs only did so much for broken bones. He paused for a second before opening it to consider what he would say.

The window opened easily and he stuck his head out. "I wouldn't jump if I were you. It's four stories to the bottom."

The girl didn't respond. He saw she was wearing a white kimono with light blue trim. Her face was turned to the setting sun. Her light blond hair was drifting in the breeze and her face was hidden. The girl leaned forward, looking down at the sheer drop.

The minutes dragged by until she asked, "Ah….. Are you thinking that I would commit suicide?" her voice was melancholy and low. She seemed sad.

"Are you?"

She shook her head slowly as though questioning herself on the very question. "I...don't know..."

Naruto thought, _"Wow...she must be depressed to say that...I wonder..."_

"Hey...are you...a Sekirei?" No answer came to his question. He frowned. "What's your name then?"

She paused and leaned back. It seemed like she was thinking hard. Minutes past. Naruto started to wonder if she would answer. _"_ _This is about the weirdest conversation I've had since trying to have a heart to heart with my old sensei at the Dojo…."_

Then she sighed. "I...don't remember... but I have a number..."

 **Ooo**

The boy...asked her what her number was and it slipped from her mind again. She covered it up by asking him a question. "What is your name Ashikabi?"

No answer came from him.

After a moment he asked confused, "What exactly is an Ashikabi?" That confused her even more than it did him. _"How can he not know what he is? It makes no sense...?"_

She turned around. "When you become the master of a Sekirei... you become an Ashikabi...!" She saw his face in the light from the dying sunset. He had startling blue eyes and blond hair. His tanned skin and kind face reminded her of someone she had liked... loved... His eyebrows were furled in confusion but it didn't diminish how handsome he was. Her heart sped up a little. He looked just like...she couldn't remember his name. The one she had affection for...his name was gone. She couldn't remember it.

She asked again, needing a name to match his face. "Who are you Ashikabi?"

"My name is Naruto Sahashi." He smiled, but seemed in pain. "Anyway if you're not planning on jumping, why don't you come inside. It's cold out there."

Her hand took his as he opened the window enough for her to climb through. He led her to the bed where he got back under the covers. After a moment of hesitation, she sat cross-legged in front of him. "So are you a Sekirei?"

She nodded.

He leaned back into the pillows behind him groaning quietly as his ribs ground together. "So if you're a Sekirei you know about this whole game thing right?"

She nodded again. What he was getting at still wasn't clear to her, but he seemed to be heading towards something. He asked, "So if I'm an... Ashikabi, what does that mean?"

That made her head spin, _"He really doesn't know...how can this be...?"_ She frowned. "Ashikabi are humans with special genes... that allow them to be the master to Sekirei. When you wing a Sekirei you become an Ashikabi. The more Sekirei you have... the stronger you become." You winged the brown haired girl. You are her Ashikabi, and she is your Sekirei. To fight for you and to do whatever you wish"

Naruto's jaw dropped. "But all I did was kiss Musubi... If I kiss any Sekirei... will the same thing happen?!"

She nodded and winced. Naruto saw the look and leaned forward. "Hey are you hurt?!" She pointed to her shoulder where red was starting to dye the fabric.

He said, "Let me give you something for that. He turned and opened the drawer on the small cabinet next to the bed. Pulling out a small bottle he leaned back. Naruto opened the bottle and took out a pill. It was small and white. He handed it to her.

Naruto handed the pain pill to her. She looked at it like she had never seen one before. He explained, "Swallow it and the pain will go away in a little while. You can stay here until the nurse comes back. They can patch you up...I'm not too good at that sort of thing."

She reached out hesitantly and took the pill from his hand. Then she swallowed it. Naruto examined her as she did. She had the most alluring eyes he'd ever seen. They were a steel grey with two rings. The pupil was a silt, like a cat's. Her clothes were held up with a chain collar that connected to her kimono. She was beautiful, but not I n the same way as Musubi or Tsukiumi. Musubi was less beautiful than cute. Every bit the innocent school girl type. While Tsukiumi was the regal beauty, acting prim and proper all the time. And indignant to a T.

This girl was more of the mysterious beauty. The kind of girl who drew others to her because of the distance that seemed to form around her. Naruto couldn't help but want to bridge that gap…..

He was lost in thought watching her as she closed her eyes, as if trying to gauge the helpfulness of the pill. When she opened her eyes she said quietly, "I remembered... My name is Akitsu... I am number 7." Naruto saw her lean forward, her face coming close to his. His own heart rate spiked. She was really close as she spoke. Her voice was sad and at the same time...warm. "I am a lost Sekirei...I activated without an Ashikabi... so I can never... become winged, but... I like you...Naruto-san. Let me experience what I could not."

She pushed forward further and her forehead rested against his. The symbol on her skin seemed cold against him. Then she inclined her head and kissed him.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Tsukiumi walked out of Naruto's apartment with Musubi. The other girl had a backpack filled with things they thought that Naruto would want. She turned and locked the door behind her. The key she used was made of water. When she turned back she found herself looking into the beady eyes of a squat man. His face was a mix of smugness and anger. He asked, "And who might you be. I hope you aren't friend of Naruto."

"Yes we are Naruto's friends...who are you?"

The man straitened up, but still was a foot shorter than either of them. "Well... friends of Naruto, I am the land lord...and Naruto is late on his payment for the last time. I was just about to kick him out. So...you can tell him to empty that room pronto!"

Then he turned around and walked down the stairs humming to himself. Tsukiumi would have blasted the impudent old man into a million pieces, but it wasn't allowed. She couldn't attack someone who wasn't involved in the Sekirei plan. Behind her Musubi let out a little cry. Tsukiumi glanced behind her and saw Musubi looking confused and worried. She asked, "Musubi! What happened? Something to do with thy Ashikabi?!"

Musubi nodded and jumped over the stairway ledge and onto the ground below. She started running back in the general direction of the hospital. Tsukiumi followed her as fast as she could, but she was having a hard time keeping up.

 **ooo**

 **ooo**

Naruto's eyes were half lidded with pleasure as Akitsu drew back at last. Her skin was still glowing and her cheeks were red, mouth still open from the passionate kiss. Naruto blinked slowly as he felt her heartbeat through her body, which was still pressed against him. Akitsu moved a hand to her lips as if confused. She whispered, "You... you... winged...me..." A long breath escaped her and she looked back at him, her once emotionless eyes now overflowing with it. She whispered again, "Ash...i..ka...bi..." Then she was kissing him again. Small cool hands were tracing over his skin and her body shifted forward till she was straddling him.

His own hands came around to touch at her sides and he kissed her back...

The door blew open a second later and Tsukiumi, followed closely by Musubi, strode into the room. They both stopped as they saw Akitsu. The young woman reluctantly pulled away from Naruto. He let her go, more than a bit reluctant himself. He'd never been kissed like that before, even Musubi's kiss hadn't been quite so desperate or passionate. Naruto looked to his right and into the shocked expression of Tsukiumi. The blond woman's mouth was open in a silent shout. It was like she couldn't speak.

Musubi took a step to the left and peeked around her to see him. She asked, "Naruto-san... who is that?"

Akitsu glanced at him as Naruto sat up straighter. "Um... this is Akitsu...and uh..."

She said, "I am his Sekirei too."

Musubi had the strangest expression flash across her face for a split second then she clapped her hands together smiling. "Ok great!. She dropped the backpack with a thud and walked quickly over and shook Akitsu's hand.

Akitsu for her part let her do it, seeming slightly confused again. Her voice returned to its former slow emotionless tone. "Who are you?"

Musubi introduced herself, "I am #88 Musubi... Naruto san's first Sekirei..." She added that "almost" as an afterthought.

Naruto opened his mouth to speak but Tsukiumi had at last regained her voice. She shouted, "WHAT HAVE THOU DONEST WITH NARUTO!?" Her shout made everyone wince, save for Akitsu who looked at her blankly.

She said, "Ah… I kissed him... twice." Naruto was certain she added that last part to incite Tsukiumi.

"What did she do to thee Naruto?!"

Naruto tried to shrug. This was getting slightly out of control. "I don't know. She was outside the window and we were talking. I brought her inside since it was cold outside." He scratched his head, "It was kinda sudden." He glanced at Akitsu sheepishly.

Musubi sat on the bed next to him and examined him, as if checking for damages. "Uh what are you doing Musubi-chan?"

She let herself fall on his chest crying comically, "Sorry Naruto-san! But your land lord said that you had to leave."

He felt like face-palming. If it wasn't one thing it was another. He looked up. Tsukiumi was gone. He thought, _"Why did my life have to get so complicated all of a sudden...?"_ He saw Akitsu touching her lips again, _"Then again... it's not so bad..."_ It occurred to him that if they were all Sekirei...then they each had special powers. "So Akitsu…. chan...What is your power?"

She looked startled for a second and slid of the bed, moving to where there was a glass of water by the bedside. She reached out and touched it. Naruto watched as the water froze instantly. The glass cracked from the pressure, but it didn't leak.

"I'm going to guess that her power was control over ice." She nodded and touched Musubi's shoulder.

Musubi asked, "Huh?"

"Can I talk with Naruto-sama alone for a moment?"

Musubi looked between them and Naruto shivered as that "look" passed over her again. She smiled and left. Naruto coughed. "So what did you want to say? I'm still confused on this whole Ashikabi Sekirei thing so..."

She shushed him, putting a finger on his lips. "I'll tell you anything Naruto-sama. I don't know how, but you made me yours... I'll do anything for you, I need you to know that I will stay with you no matter what... I love you." She leaned forward again and kissed him softly. "I thought it was impossible for me to find someone like you... who could make me love..." Naruto was speechless as she finished, "...for many years to come..."

 **ooo**

 **ooo**

Tsukiumi stood facing the city from the roof of her usual hangout. It was an empty rooftop that overlooked the central MBI tower. Her mind was in turmoil. She liked Naruto...despite only knowing him for a short time, but he was an Ashikabi and he was sure to try and wing her. But he seemed so nice and friendly. And he had saved her life. It was confusing her. Her body was telling her that he was compatible with her and it distracted her at the worst moments. Like when she had walked in and seen that girl on top of him kissing him... it had hit her like a solid wall of water... one that she couldn't bend to her will. Every time she imagined his face or voice her stomach would give a sizable lurch.

Behind her a voice called out, "So Tsukiumi...have you found the one yet?"

She whirled around, "HOMURA! What are thou doing here?!" She was looking at a man...at least he sounded and acted like a man. But it was almost like he was halfway between.

"I would think that it's obvious why I'm here. I'm checking up on you."

Tsukiumi growled, "Thou art my rival! I will obliterate thee!" She summoned water from the air around her and formed it into a tight ball. She thrust it towards Homrua. She shouted, "Water Celebration!" It exploded outwards to blast him, but he ducked to the side with ease.

"Well...that proves one thing. You are reacting to someone. Usually your attacks are much more precise. I would guess that you came here to think in peace?"

Tsukiumi dropped her hands and turned back around saying, "It is none of thy business. Leave Homura!"

He narrowed his eyes at her back. _"Playing hard to get again huh?"_ "And what about the twins? Do you have no more trouble with them anymore?"

She stopped and said normally, "Naruto dealt with them." That peaked his curiosity. Tsukiumi looked very...divided at the moment.

"Who is Naruto?"

She sighed, "He is an Ashikabi, but he wasn't when I met him. He saved me when the twins ambushed me. Thou should know... it twas only two days ago and he has two Sekirei today."

Homura thought, _"Two Sekirei in two days...impressive. I've never heard of anyone doing that. He must be a powerful force, not to mention driving away the thunder twins."_ "You know... If you continue like this without finding your Ashikabi, everyone else will surpass you. Especially if you are fighting against your instincts."

Tsukiumi shouted, "Speak for thyself! I will become the strongest Sekirei without the aid of a human!" She turned and walked briskly past him. 

He watched her disappear over the edge of the roof and sighed inwardly. For all that she pretended to be a regal lady, she really was one of the most immature Sekirei he'd met. He wondered who this Naruto was to set her off like that... _"I feel sorry for him. She killed the last Ashikabi she reacted to in a fit of rage."_

 **Ooo**

 **Oooooo**

 **Ooo**

Three days later Naruto was released from the hospital. His cracked ribs were healing remarkably well with MBI's advanced technology. And his throat was fully healed. The slash across his back had scarred rather badly but it had healed as well. Musubi was supporting him on one side while also carrying a bag with most of his possessions. Akitsu was under his other arm. Tsukiumi was nowhere to be seen, but she made sure to keep them in sight. She had been observing Naruto nearly constantly for the past few days. He seemed to be genuine...but she couldn't bring herself to give in to her feelings.

And she couldn't stay with them at all times. Akitsu was a very perceptive person, despite being forgetful and slow. She would ask her why she didn't just _submit_ to Naruto if she was brooding close by. Not to mention the fact that she couldn't stand how affectionate...overly affectionate she was. Constantly kissing Naruto... It wasn't as though she needed to draw any power from him. It seemed as though she did it just because she enjoyed it. Tsukiumi didn't see what was so special.

Down on the sidewalk she heard Naruto speaking to his two Sekirei. "We need to find a new place to stay...and I need to call my mom again. Having you three hanging around all the time is getting hard on a one person allowance ya know. Akitsu nodded and kissed him lightly on the cheek. He turned pink again.

She was always doing that...not that he minded overly much, but he sure wasn't used to it. And Musubi was getting more affectionate as well. The last night in the hospital she had curled up to sleep beside him on the bed. Even Akitsu hadn't tried doing that yet. As they walked he thought of where he could go. Apartments were hard to get, especially for four people...especially with how little money he had at the moment...

 ** _-Five hours later-_**

Naruto sat down on the bench and exhaled. He was sore from walking and tired of talking. Not a single apartment had come as a result of spending the entire day searching. He was annoyed that no one would give him a chance. But he supposed he couldn't blame people. He probably looked like trouble. And with the way the girls acted around him... Most people would probably assume he was some sort of pimp. Especially with the weird way they dressed. He repositioned himself to alleviate some of the pain in his side. "Well I have no clue where we're going to stay. That hospital sure doesn't let you linger. We've been looking for hours but we can't find a single place that will take the four of us."

He went silent as a girl with a basket of food walked by. Once she was a ways away he continued. "I just wish there was a Sekirei and Ashikabi apartment building or something. Hey Tsukiumi are you sure there isn't anything like that?"

The blonde girl was standing behind him, leaning against the bench. "Thy would have been told if I had known." She sounded as dejected as he felt.

 **Ooo**

Down around the corner of the street the girl who had passed them a few moments ago was listening in. She heard one girl say, "Aw...Naruto-san, If you hadn't protected me you wouldn't have been hurt and you would have been able to pay your rent on time... I'm sorry..."

"Hey forget about that Musubi-chan! It's not like I would take it back. We just need to find someplace that I have enough money for. Then I can call mom and _... try_ to get her to raise my allowance, but I've got no clue how to explain you three to her. I'm not even allowed to talk about it really."

She thought about it for a minute. The boy seemed nice and it seemed that they were out on the streets for now. She could help them out but she wasn't completely sure yet. Then Naruto said, "I...guess I could call my sister, but I just know she'll give me hell..."

 **Ooo**

Naruto contemplated what to do. He was torn between the prospect of sleeping outside with cracked ribs... and swallowing his pride and his privacy, going to his sister. He leaned his head on Akitsu's shoulder in defeat sighing tiredly, "I'm too tired to think..."

Tsukiumi deadpanned. "Thy injury drains thee of strength. You shouldn't even be out of bed yet."

Naruto nodded closing his eyes...Akitsu's shoulder was so... comfortable... He could just sleep here..."

A voice called out to them and Naruto looked up. It was a girl...the same one who had walked by them a few minutes before. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but listen in. Did you say you were looking for a place to stay?"

Naruto blinked slowly. "Yeah...just got kicked out of my old apartment for missing one payment... do you know someplace that would take us? We don't have much money right now."

She nodded. Her hair was long and brown. She was wearing a T shirt that was blue and dark pink with a gold star on the front. "Uh huh! It's a boarding house just down the way. I'm sure they'll take you in."

Energized, Naruto stood up, but gasped in pain. Musubi helped him straiten as Akitsu slipped around to support him. Naruto asked, "What's your name?"

"Uzume is the name, Nice to meet you...?"

"Naruto... Naruto Sahashi."

Uzume grinned and shook his outstretched hand. "Follow me."

 **ooo**

 **ooo**

A short while later Uzume led them through the door of a giant mansion like house. It was surrounded by a high wooden wall, defiantly not a fence. Inside, the boarding house was just as big as it looked from the outside. Uzume brought them through the house till they came to a living room, with a long low table. Naruto saw a woman and a young man already sitting. There was food set out for three. The woman looked up at them frowning as they entered. Uzume said to her, "Miya...I found these four down the street a ways. They really need a place to stay so I thought you might take them in."

Miya smiled, "Of course they can stay, I won't turn down anyone in need." She examined them closely. "You all look hungry... Uzume, get some extra plates and utensils for them." Then she motioned for them to sit down. Naruto slowly took a seat, trying hard not to set off his cracked ribs. Miya asked as the others took seats, "Tell me...you look hurt, do you need to go to the hospital?"

He shook his head wryly, "Actually I just left... they sure didn't waste any time kicking me out."

To his left Akitsu's stomach growled audibly. She looked down almost surprised. Naruto raised one blond eyebrow in question. "Have you eaten anything today… Akitsu-chan?

She shook her head, "Ah….I forgot to..."

Miya thought they were rather amusing to watch. It was rare to see such light hearted people with the Sekirei plan involved. The boy was obviously an Ashikabi and a strong one. She could sense his power herself. Then there were his Sekirei. She'd heard of most of them through what Homura had told her. The blond was Tsukiumi #9 and she was supposed to be violently opposed to bonding with an Ashikabi. She controlled water. The second one was the discarded number. The moment Miya realized this her eyes widened almost imperceptibly. She turned to look at Homoura who sat to her right. His body language said he was calm, but his wary gaze kept flicking between Akitsu and Tsukiumi. He knew as well as she did that it was supposed to be impossible for a discarded number to be winged.

She decided it was time to know this boy's name. "Young man, Would you tell me your name and the names of your friends?"

Naruto nodded and started from his right, "This is Tsukiumi, Musubi, and Akitsu. My name is Naruto."

Miya inquired, "No last names?"

Naruto looked at the four girls and shrugged...instantly regretting it as a flare of pain shot up his side. He sat perfectly still for a moment. As he tried to subdue the pain, Uzume returned with plates for them. She set them out and handed everyone chopsticks. Then she sat down on the other side of Miya. When Naruto had ceased to grimace he breathed out a long breath. "I..don't know about them, but my last name is Sahashi..." He took another deep breath and leaned forward to open his chopsticks.

He didn't notice Homura stiffen or Miya's eyes widen. Homura thought _, "He is Takami's son... how the hell...?!"_

"Do you have family in the city?" It would be interesting to see how much he knew about his own situation. Naruto looked pensive.

"Well mom works here in the city... I haven't seen her in about a year though. She's always busy with her work. She says she's a pharmaceutical researcher or something like that. And my sister just moved to the city recently too. She's attending school here. Don't know if she has a job or not." Naruto stopped as Uzume started to dish rice and chicken onto their plates.

"And your father?" Naruto set his jaw, "I never met him but I think he lives here too. Sometimes mom talks about him, but I have no clue who he is. I don't even know his name." There was a sour look on Naruto's face as he said that. "It kinda bothers me not knowing."

He seemed about to continue when Tsukiumi broke the peace. She declared, "YOU THERE! THOU ART HOMURA, ARE YOU NOT!" Her hand was outstretched pointing across the table to where Homura sat, straining to keep his instinct in check. He felt like calling his powers to hand, readying himself for her attack.

"I'm Kagari thank you."

A confused look crossed Tsukiumi's face. "Thou aren't Homura?... Are thou acquainted with him?!"

Homura shook his head. He didn't know whether to be depressed that she didn't know that he was lying...or grateful.

Tsukiumi frowned and sat back, her cheeks turning red. "I apologize for the mistake... thou looked like someone I know."

"Well... I'll be going now. I have a job to do." He picked up his empty plate and awkwardly left.

Naruto asked as he disappeared, "What does he do?"

Uzume piped up. "He's a host for a local club. If you believe it he's the best in the city."

Naruto thought out loud, "Why does he stay here then? If he's that popular he could afford a luxury room in one of those fancy apartments they advertise for."

Miya and Uzume shared a look and Uzume shrugged. "I don't know...maybe because this place is a welcome change from what he does all night..." Uzume went back to eating and Naruto did the same.

After a few minutes Miya inquired, "Naruto... as I said, you may stay here as long as you want, but I have a few rules. The most important is no violence. I will not tolerate fighting within the walls of this place. Is that understood?" He nodded and she smiled warmly. "Good, that's all for now. If you do something against the rules I'll let you know."

They finished eating and Naruto tried to help unpack in their shared room, but Akitsu and Musubi prevented him from doing so. Tsukiumi for her part disappeared again shortly after eating. It seemed to him that she was troubled about something. He would have to asked her about it when she returned. Naruto felt two arms wrap around him from behind. It was Musubi. She said, "Naruto-san...we finished unpacking. What do you want to do now?" He had to think about that. After a moment he said, "Well...I'll just lay down for now. No point making my ribs hurt worse...Oh! Musubi where is that bottle of medicine from the hospital?"

From his right, Akitsu said, "Ah… here it is..." Naruto took the proffered bottle and opened it. He swallowed one of the pills and stood up, moving to the bed. Musubi followed him and helped him lay down. Naruto yawned and closed his eyes. Today had been a long day. He thought, _"If this is how a normal day is going to be...I won't have any time for school..."_ As he started to drift off he felt a shift next to him. He paid it no mind, sleep was overtaking him fast.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

 _-the next morning-_

Naruto woke to the feeling of two warm bodies on either side of him. He lifted his head to look down. Musubi had curled up against him. Her arm was draped over him possessively. Her head rested on his shoulder and he could feel her warm breath ghost past his neck. On the other side was a very awake Akitsu. Her chin rested on his chest and those eyes of hers were half lidded, watching him. He blinked. she didn't. "Um...good morning Akitsu-chan. She nodded slightly and leaned forward to kiss him. He let her do it, allowing himself to enjoy the contact as well. But instead of pulling back Akitsu deepened the kiss, one hand slithering up his shirt.

As she tried to push her tongue into his mouth, there came an Ahem! from the door way. Naruto's eyes flicked to the left to see who it was as he pushed Akitsu away. It was Kagari, looking bemused. A wry smile twisted the corner of his mouth. He was leaning against the door way. "Miya says to tell you breakfast is ready... and that if you go any farther than kissing as long as you're inside Mansion Izumo, that you will be breaking another _rule._ " With that comment he turned and left.

Naruto attempted to sit up, but Musubi had just woken as well. She slipped around to kiss him as well. She smiled saying, "Morning Naruto-san!" He nodded... feeling like his life had been turned upside down from the previous day...in (almost) the best possible way.

"Musubi-chan... get off for a sec ok." She promptly levered off him and sat there looking down at him. Before he could sit up Naruto's visual cortex registered the absence of any shirt...or bra covering Musubi's generous bust. Naruto bolted up straight, his hand flying to his nose to stop the nose bleed...and his other hand to cover his groin area with more of the blanket.

After he had gained most of his mental faculties back he asked, "Um...Musubi-chan, why don't you put some clothes on right now? I think I'll take a shower."

Musubi piped up, "Ok but can I shower with you first?!"

Naruto's eyes almost rolled back in his head. He stuttered, "N...N... n..NO! Ju...just stay out here...and get dressed." She nodded happily and Naruto remembered that she didn't understand the meaning of the words modesty, privacy, awkward, etc... He forced himself to his feet, wrapping the blanket around him and headed to the bathing room.

He found to his surprise...that there were no showers to be found. There was a sizeable bath with enough room to fit about ten people with ease. And buckets. Not to mention there were about sixteen different kinds of soap, shampoo and conditioner scattered around the walls. He sighed and ran some water. Once it was hot enough he slipped gratefully into it. He stretched for the first time that morning. _"So far so good. My ribs seem to be healing nice. Maybe I'll be back to fighting shape in a few weeks."_ Lost in thought, Naruto didn't notice someone entering the room.

The nearly silent pad of feet was covered up by the sound of talking from the next room. He only noticed that he wasn't alone when slender arms wrapped around his neck, softly, and he felt breasts... press into his back. He froze and turned his head to look. It was tiger eyed Akitsu. She was... naked... Naruto asked hesitantly, "Uh...what are you doing?" He didn't know what she was up to but Kagari had practically spelled out that this sort of thing was against the rules.

Akitsu didn't answer as she slipped the rest of the way into the bath with him. Naruto felt his cheeks turn red as a long leg brushed on his under the water. When he at last spoke it wasn't an answer to his question. It was her own inquiry. "Would you like me to help scrub your back?"

Under the circumstances he was currently in, he'd assumed that her mind was on a _slightly_ different track than that. Be let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding and nodded. It would be a help since he wasn't too eager to agitate his ribs just yet. "Go ahead I guess."

Her arms unwound from his neck and reached for the soap and a brush. After a few strokes she leaned her forehead on his back, brushing slowly and hard. At the same time her legs kept shifting around him. Naruto felt a... lick... at his neck and he had to concentrate hard to stop a shiver from overtaking him. He thought, " _Jeeze...it's nice to have someone scrub my back...but does she have to be so...friendly about it?!"_ It was turning him on... just being so close to a beautiful nude girl like that was a turn on, but in a hot bath, with her almost wrapped around him...licking his neck every few moments...

 **Ooo**

The bath seemed to last a very... long... time. Naruto got out of the bathing room as quickly as he could after that, declining Akitsu's request to wash her. He been sorely tempted, but! he had remained stoic... remembering what Kagari had said. Then again, _"With the way those two are...I'll end up breaking that rule pretty quick. Especially Akitsu..."_

There was a sliding sound and Naruto looked up. It was Uzume. She smirked at him. Her smile was devious. "Sound's like you were having fun huh...oh don't answer. But Miya is waiting for you."

Naruto nodded and finished getting dressed. Then he made his way to the main room. There he found Miya where she had just put down her bowl. "Oh...Naruto-san good morning. I see you're awake. Since you didn't get breakfast I was wondering if you felt well enough to do a favor for me?"

Naruto asked, "What kind of favor?" She smiled and a chill crept of Naruto's back. The feeling was creepily familiar. He could have ignored it but wisdom got the better of him.

"Nevermind... what did you need?"

"Thanks for asking..., well I kind of need to purchase some medicine, but I'm not sure I can count on your friends at the moment, Uzume has things to do and Kagari just left."

That sounded reasonable enough. "Sure, but let me grab something to eat first."

He walked into the kitchen and made a sandwich for the road. Then he got directions from Miya about where he was going and what medicine he was buying. Soon after that he said goodbye to Akitsu, who had just left the bath and Musubi, as she left the bedroom.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Naruto headed down the street. He groaned in annoyance. He'd just left the tiny herbal shop that Miya had told him to go to. It was a ramshackle building filled with the pungent smell of dried spices heavy in the air. He was glad to be out of that place... and more importantly, away from that old woman that ran the place. She could talk your ear off and you couldn't even understand half of what she said. Naruto glanced at the bag he was carrying. It held a small jar full of some ointment he'd never heard of. and it was expensive. The money that Miya had given him had seemed excessive at first, but now... Out of the wad of cash she had handed to him, only a few small bills remained.

It occurred to him as he walked back to the mansion that he hadn't talked to his sister. He'd already talked with mom, so he felt the need to talk to Yukari. There was another reason he needed to talk to her though. Musubi, Akitsu, and Tsukiumi each had one outfit to wear. Other than that there was nothing for them to wear. He didn't have the money... or the stomach to take three girls shopping for clothes. It seemed to be asking for trouble... Naruto had taken his phone out of his pocket...when it ringed. He sighed and opened it. "Hello?"

The voice at the other end sounded excited, _"AH! Excellent! Naruto...good to finally speak with you, albeit over the phone. Listen my boy, I need you to come to the Kenpachi dojo in ten minutes got it...otherwise you might never see Tsukiumi again..."_

Whoever it was hung up. Naruto had stopped in his tracks. _"Tsukiumi chan is in trouble...Damn!"_ He raced as fast as his ribs would allow to the dojo. He knew the way by heart. He had taken Aki-do there for six months. The dojo was small but well kept and old man Kenpachi was a brutal fighter. His attitude never seemed to match the defensive style he taught.

Ten minutes later he found himself opening the doors to enter the dojo. The place looked empty. Then the lights clicked on. Naruto stared. It... was the guy... the guy from all the MBI ads and shows. His wild silver hair and square glasses perched precariously on his nose. He was grinning like a mad man. Naruto felt anger slowly rising. Had this guy really kidnapped Tsukiumi? His mental question was answered as Hiroto Minaka said, "Naruto!...I'm glad to see you made it! Now before you go accusing me of kidnapping let me tell you I've done nothing to #9 Tsukiumi. She is perfectly fine I'm sure."

Naruto growled, "Where is she!?"

Minaka shrugged, "I have no idea at the moment. I lied about you never seeing her again. I just had to make sure you got here fast. Now come over here and sit down. We had some exciting things to talk about!"

Naruto narrowed his eyes and stepped forward. Moving until he was nose to nose with Minaka. The older man was still grinning. "What do you want with me?"

Minaka pointed at the chair, "Sit and everything will become clear." Naruto glanced at the chair. It was heavy and made of steel. There were attached clams for arms and legs. He thought it was rather obvious what was going to happen if he sat there.

"I'm not going to sit there just because you say so. What is this about?"

The leader of MBI turned around and gazed at the dojo wall... as if he were viewing some grand coliseum. "This is about the Sekirei plan. The grand plan, the game I engineered... and" he turned back to Naruto, "You!"

Naruto felt like he had missed something. "Exactly where do I come in with this...uh ...plan? And why did you call me out here now of all times?!"

"An opportunity that I couldn't miss presented its self...and I pounced. Anyway... Naruto you're an Ashikabi now. I'm proud that you winged two Sekirei already, but! I have a gift for you... call it a present... or compensation."

Naruto took time to digest that... he asked, "For what?"

Minaka shut his mouth abruptly. Then seemed to consider his words carefully for the first time. "For not... uh... helping... i... you see..." He trailed off and then reasserted his grin once more. "It doesn't matter right now. What I want is to help you now. You see, there is this little... gene in you that makes you unique. Or rather you are the only person who has it. However there is a block, preventing that gene from being active... I! will remove that block, therefore restoring full power to you."

"And what if I don't want your help?"

Minaka shrugged, "Well, for one thing, you might not be able to protect your friends..."

That made sense...not nice sense though. It sounded like he was going to get this "help" whether he wanted it or not. Naruto made up his mind and sat down in the chair. Minaka clapped his hands and the clamps slammed shut.

"So what now?"

The man in front of him took out a strange object from a pocket. It was oval with a strange symbol carved into the surface. But it was so intricate that Naruto doubted that human hands could have crafted it. He thought it might be machine made. Minaka said something... in another language. It wasn't one he recognized. And then his hands began to move, forming signs like in the language deaf people used.

Naruto thought this was getting weirder by the minute. First he gets called to his old dojo by the head of MBI. Then he gets told he's some kind of special Ashikabi. Then he sits in a steel trap of a chair, while Minaka did incantations. Naruto was surprised at how calm he felt... That was until the nausea hit. Like a physical punch in the gut. He nearly lost his breakfast as he bent forward. His eyes remained glued to the floor as waves of sickness rolled over him. Pain was carving a mural into his brain and it hurt to breath. Naruto realized belatedly... that he wasn't breathing at all. Little dark spots were swarming in his vision, merging to narrow his sight. Almost as though he were closing his eyes. Black slowly dragged him down.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

 **A few things you might have noticed. Akitsu is going to be referring to Naruto as -sama instead of –kun. This is mainly due to the fact that I think that's the personality. I may also do the same for Musubi a good deal of the time.**

 **That's all for now. Remember to review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3!**

 **(nope don't own Sekirei or Naruto)**

 ** _Chapter 3_**

Naruto yawned loudly and sat up in bed. There was something that was bothering him. It was like a fuzziness, as though he needed to remember something. He sat up wiping at his eyes. As he did so he realized that he didn't remember how he had come to be back in bed. Naruto dazedly stood and walked to the doorway. He slid the door open with a loud snap and looked out. It was still day time. " _So...not too much time had passed since...whenever."_ The last thing that kept sticking was the name of an old dojo he used to go to, but it made no sense. Why did he recall a class he'd taken more than a year ago and not the last few hours...? Or however long it had been since he had left the mansion. He walked down the hall looking around then turned into the main living room. He saw Kagari had returned and was filling information out on some kind of chart.

He looked up as Naruto entered. His tone was concerned when he spoke, "Oh.. Naruto you're awake. Good we were wondering when you'd get up."

Naruto looked down at him. It seemed like there was something about him. Like a sixth sense was telling Naruto that not all was right with Kagari. He mumbled, "Yeah... I just woke up but... it like I can't remember what I did after... I don't know. I remember that little herb shop, but after that..."

"Musubi and Akitsu went to the market for groceries and Miya is out back. I was the one who found you. You were passed out on the sidewalk." Naruto rubbed his eyes and sat down at the table.

Kagari asked, "You thirsty?"

He nodded and Kagari rolled a bottle of water across the table. He reached out and grabbed it.

The water bottle exploded in his hand, the lid bursting off and water going everywhere. Naruto looked confused and his slow mind continued to tell him that he felt fine. But he had just popped the water bottle... that wasn't an easy thing to do with one hand. Kagari regarded him with a raised eyebrow.

"You've got one hell of a grip. Remind me not to shake your hand."

Naruto stood up and went to get a towel.

Homura watched him leave. Something about finding Naruto unconscious on the sidewalk didn't seem right. Naruto didn't come off as the kind of guy who passed out or had seizures... or anything like that. From what he had heard, he was good with martial arts and worked out. He even heard Musubi say that it was strange for Naruto to be felling unwell. Seeing how he got along fine even with broken ribs, Homura believed her. For another thing, he knew that only those with ancient Sekirei heritage could become Ashikabi. Meaning that somewhere in Naruto's family line there had been a Sekirei, possibly more than one. And most Ashikabi were stronger, smarter than normal people, just having that tiny amount of Sekirei blood.

And Naruto was exceptionally...strong _and_ smart for an Ashikabi. Homura knew that with his last name being Sahashi... there was a very good chance that his "mom" was Takami Sahashi, since Homura had never met anyone with that last name beside her and... now Naruto. And if he was her son, then it figured that his Ashikabi powers would be especially potent. So it over all didn't make sense for him to be feeling unwell.

Homura heard a startled shout from the kitchen where Naruto had gone. He stood up and walked inside. Naruto was standing with one towel in hand and in the other... a twisted piece of steel that used to be a metal cabinet handle. Naruto was looking at his own hand in something that approximated shock. He dropped the piece of steel, staring at his hand now as he flexed it. Homura felt the seconds ticking by as Naruto bent to retrieve the piece of steel. The he put the towel over his shoulder and used both hands to tear the piece of metal in half... He seemed entranced by it. Homura thought, _"Ok...so that explains the water bottle...but...how could he possibly be that strong? And why does he seem surprised?!"_

Naruto looked up. "Uh... am I dreaming?"

 **Ooo**

Naruto saw Kagari shake his head once. Then he looked back at the ripped piece of steel in his hand and stopped, listening. The telephone was ringing. Kagari gave him a puzzled look and went to answer it. Naruto hurriedly put the two pieces of metal in the trash. They weren't going to be usable again.

Then he heard Kagari shout, "Naruto! Get in here it's for you!" Naruto...ran into the other room, realizing at that moment that his ribs felt completely fine now. Kagari had the phone to his ear saying, "Yes Naruto is here...who are you?" His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Apparently he knew who was calling.

"Give me the phone...whoever it is." Kagari nodded and handed it over. Naruto took it...gently as he could. Then the voice leaped out from the speaker, "Naruto...! is that you!? Thank god. I didn't know what happened to you. What did that bastard Minaka do to you... Naruto? Answer me!"

"Mom...? How did you get this number...how did you even know I'm out of the hospital?" His mind was clearing and it struck him immediately that his mom shouldn't know where he was.

It was a few moments before she answered, "Ok...ok... Alright Naruto. You were always a bit too smart for your own good. I actually work for MBI and I've been tracking your movements for a few days now. But Minaka... that ass... went and did something to you when I was busy elsewhere." Takami sounded frantic.

"Um...now that you mention it...something crazy did just happen to me." His mom took a deep breath on the other side before asking, "Ok explain it to me."

"Well I woke up a few minutes ago, but I can't remember much and when Kagari here gave me a bottle of water it popped in my hand the moment I squeezed...and when I went to open a drawer in the kitchen...I twisted the steel handle right off." Naruto put a hand to his belly and pressed, "And my ribs don't hurt anymore..."

Takami said, "Naruto, I need to see you as soon as possible. Bring your Sekirei and meet me at the MBI hospital tomorrow at 1:00 ok?"

He agreed. Then as an afterthought asked, "What about Tsukiumi?"

His mother thought about it for a moment. "Sure you can bring her but you should know that she may try to kill you in the future."

Naruto choked, "What!?"

"Tsukiumi has always been opposed to being winged by any Ashikabi, therefore she has a habit of killing anyone she reacts to. A headache for the guys who have to explain all this to the public. I just want you to be careful around her." "Ok?"

Naruto sighed and agreed.

"Alright Naruto, I'll see you tomorrow, but one more thing. Don't tell your sister about this. I don't want her to know anything unless she gets herself involved."

"I guess so...well see you later..."

He hung up and let his shoulders droop. Any happiness that he would get to see his mom was diminished by the fact that she had lied about where she worked and what she did. And the fact that she didn't explain this when he called her the first time. Not to mention her saying the Tsukiumi might try to kill him some time in the near future.

Beside him Kagari asked slowly, "How did it go?"

Naruto looked at him sideways. "Let me see...not very good. I'm going to see my mom tomorrow at 1:00 and I'll be taking everyone with me. Please tell Miya for me. I need to take a nap." Kagari nodded mutely as Naruto walked off.

He followed Naruto to his room where he opened the door, walked in, turned around, and fell backwards onto his bed with a Ouf! of expelled air. Homura thought, _Takami sure must have put the hurt on him. I wonder how much he knows now? No matter, I should probably tell Miya about all of this"_ He moved out of the room, closing the door behind him and went to find the landlady.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Musubi and Akitsu returned home and deposited the groceries with Miya before searching out Naruto. They found him, just sitting up, in their room. They immediately stopped. Naruto looked at them. They looked at him. Naruto asked, "Um...what is it?"

Musubi felt a slight blush creeping up her cheeks as Akitsu stepped forward. It occurred to Naruto that he felt...strange. Even more so than he had earlier. He got to his feet as Akitsu and Musubi stepped forward. Before he could say anything Musubi was kissing him. As she did, her wings burst from her back. It lasted a full minute before she parted from him, the light from her wings just fading. Then Naruto was kissed again, by Akitsu this time, her own wings shivering out on a wave of cold.

When she too stepped back Naruto took a deep breath. "Um...ok...good to see you two again..." He felt strange...oddly warm.

Musubi nodded and smiled, "Kagari san told us what happened! Are you ok Naruto-san?"

"Yeah I feel fine now. And really, I was more worried about you two getting into trouble...where I wasn't there to help." He smiled ad ruffled Musubi's hair. She really was a bit of a "blond" as it were. He didn't like the idea of her going out alone. She was liable to start a fight she couldn't finish, just like with that other girl. He thought, _"Now I know, since Akitsu told me, The only reason Musubi won was because she got a big power boost from me. I wish there was some way to enroll her in a martial arts course. Get her some discipline."_

He was snapped out of his thoughts by Musubi kissing him. When he broke the kiss he asked, "Again?"

She nodded, her cheeks still dark pink. "Musubi will never get tire of kissing Naruto"san..."

A sweet voice from the hallway inquired, "What exactly will Musubi never tire of?" Naruto froze. His neck craned upward and he looked over the top of Musubi's head. He gulped, Purple hair...demonic visage, wooden cooking ladle poised to strike.

"Um nothing at all... "

Miya raised one eyebrow. "Dinner will be ready in a half an hour..." She turned and left. Naruto and Akitsu both sighed in relief. Musubi didn't seem to catch the threat in Miya's appearance.

Naruto turned around, but was frozen again by Miya's voice. "And by the way...just in case Kagari didn't tell you, sexual activities are banned within Mansion Izumo." Then she was gone without a sound. Naruto thought _, "Jeeze she's scaryer than mom..."_ He shook his head to clear it and left the room to clean up before dinner.

A half an hour later Naruto sat with his two Sekirei. Kagari was there, but Uzume was gone. No one seemed to know where she went. Naruto was taking a break from his meal to listen to Musubi's account of the shopping trip. She kept returning to how slow Akitsu was. Naruto for his part was having a difficult time doing much of anything. Whatever that crazy guy had done to him, it had increased his strength, cause he was having to use metal chopsticks to avoid breaking them repeatedly. Even now they were bending every time he tried to pick something up.

Kagari watched him... amused. Beside him Akitsu purred, "Ah… Naruto-sama...let me." She Picked up a piece of sushi and guided it to his mouth. He ate it, deciding that it wasn't as bad as it could be. He looked over to Musubi. She was super strong all the time. He wondered how she coped. Was she constantly having to adjust her strength between the different things she did? Or was it automatic for her? Naruto didn't know. He picked up his own twisted chopsticks and held them gingerly. It took him another five minutes to get the pressure right. But soon he was eating at a normal pace again.

Homura watched him. He was adjusting to the increase in strength rapidly. Far faster than he should have. He could tell by the way Miya kept shooting glances at him, that she was just as surprised. Any Sekirei could tell he had just gone though a massive power increase. It made him feel a bit dizzy being near him, but it was tolerable. Homura wondered how long he and Miya would be able to keep up this farce. So far they hadn't revealed that they knew about the Sekirei plan, and with the situation as it was... it would take much to expose them.

He saw Naruto take a bite from Akitsu, his cheeks tingeing pink with embarrassment. He turned back to where Musubi had just finished relating the "epic saga" of their shopping trip. Homura heard a snap...as the door to the room opened and closed quickly. Tsukiumi walked in and stopped.

 **Ooo**

Tsukiumi felt the power almost radiating off Naruto, like a fishing line reeling her in. She felt her cheeks flush red and her body heat up. She gritted her teeth and moved to sit down away from Naruto.

Miya welcomed her, "I'm glad you could make it... Are you not feeling well?"

Tsukiumi blinked and her eye twitched with the strain of not moving. It took her several seconds to reign in her impulse and speak, "Thy shouldest know I am fine. Nothing is wrong with me." Even Musubi wasn't convinced.

Tsukiumi could hear the doubt in her voice as she asked, "Are you sure Tsukiumi-san? You don't look so good."

The blond closed her eyes, purposely not looking at Naruto or even in his direction. "I am fine. Don't pester me Musubi!"

From where Naruto sat she heard him say, "Ya know… she's right, you look a bit flushed."

Tsukiumi felt the heat rising in her chest. She breathed slowly, keeping her bearings as much as she could. She thought, _"I will not wing myself. I must not do it...not here...not him. I will become the strongest. But damn this body of mine. It reacts so strongly to him."_ She stubbornly kept her body still, not wanting to accidently stimulate her sensitive nerves more than they already were.

Miya calmly placed food in front of Tsukiumi, a small knowing smile playing around her lips. It was interesting to watch such a strong willed girl like Tsukiumi fighting against herself, trying to resist the inevitable. As Tsukiumi started to eat Miya thought she saw her glancing at Naruto repeatedly. She thought, _"Well it won't be very long and he'll have three Skeirei. That would make him the strongest Ashikabi in the North. Hm...things will not be going back to normal for a long time it seems. Minaka will make his next move soon."_

Five minutes later Tsukiumi put down her chopsticks and stood to leave. Before she could Naruto asked, "Hey um...Tsukiumi chan... I was wondering if you wanted to come with me and Musubi and Akitsu to meet my mom tomorrow?"

Tsukiumi answered yes before she realized what he was saying, the word leaping out of her mouth. "I mean...of course I will come. Now...I will retire to bed. I will see thee in the morning." She almost ran out of the room, leaving them in puzzled silence.

Naruto remembered what his mother had said about Tsukiumi. He thought, _"I hope she doesn't try to kill me. I have enough problems already without that. And there's no doubt that she's reacting to me. Now that I think about it, she looked just like Musubi did before I winged her." Maybe I should just ask her about it before hand...?"_ He put it out of his mind and finished eating. After that he helped do the dishes with Musubi. It was a nerve racking experience, but he managed to get through without breaking anything.

Afterwards he went to their room and crawled into bed. He looked over at Tsukiumi who was turned to the wall. A moment later Musubi and Akitsu came in. It required ten minutes to get them to understand that they weren't supposed to sleep with him. In the end he managed it somehow. He slept in his bed, but both girls had succeeded in finding ways of making skin contact. Musubi's hand extended out of her bed and clutched his arm. Akitsu had moved her bed close to his. Her fingers were entwined with his. He let himself drift off.

 **Ooo**

 _-Tsukiumi felt blankets twisting around her. She was burning hot, her skin on fire, her breath coming erratically. There was something, warm and strong wrapped around her. She twisted to see it. It was an arm, connected to Naruto, who lay behind her sleeping. Tsukiumi realized she was naked. Naruto shifted, his arm dragging over her waist, sending a tingling itch over her._

 _She managed to turn fully around, but the blankets were restricting her, holding her legs together. Her arms were tangled too. She forced herself to sit up and look around. She was in a large four poster bed. The walls around her were dim and hung with shadow. It was...! She was dragged down into Naruto's arms. Tsukiumi gasped when she felt him shift his hand lower. She cried out, "What art thou?!" He was on top of her then, his nose almost touching her's._

 _He said softly, "Tsukiumi-chan..." His crystal blue eyes dared her to speak._

 _Tsukiumi pulled her arms free of the bed and put them to his chest, intending to push him back. But she had no strength. His gaze held her. He pushed forward slightly, his lips brushing past her own._

 _He whispered, "Be my Sekirei..."-_

Tsukiumi opened her eyes as lay in her own bed, sweating. Her breathing was way past the point of erratic. Her heart beat loud in her ears as though she were underwater. Every part of her body was burning. She sat up and looked to her right. Naruto was asleep. Sometime during the night, Musubi and Akitsu had vacated their beds to cuddle up against him. His arms was wrapped around Musubi's waist much like his had been in her dream. His face was buried in her deep brown hair.

As her heart slowed from it's frantic pace she looked to the clock on the wall. It said 4:32. She hadn't woken early. Going to bed so fast the previous day...she'd gotten eight hours of sleep. She lifted a hand from under the covers and looked at it. It was a dark form in the dim light. Tsukiumi realized that there shouldn't have been any light at all. She sat up and the light grew to a dim glow...a candle, outside their room. As she watched the door slid open very silently and someone poked her head in.

Thinking it was Miya checking on them she dropped silently back into her bed. Masking her breathing as the unseen intruder closed the door and left. Tsukiumi sat back up and pulled the blankets back. Her shift was soaked. She was shocked, _"How could I sweat this much... It will not be long at this rate. I doubt that I can last another week like this. ...Even if I'm not around him... If every night is like this..."_

She stood and stepped out of the room, making her way down the hall to the baths. She entered and ran water as she stripped. Once she was naked she slid into the water. It was moderately cool, something to help the heat that refused to leave her body even when she was still. She relaxed back into the water, sinking down so only her face was above the water. Tsukiumi tried to rid her mind of Naruto.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Matsu crept through the hose back to her room. Another night, another chance missed. If only they had separate rooms... Then she would have more time to work with. Maybe...if he were sleeping alone she could sneak in with him. Matsu pondered, _"If you kiss an Ashikabi while he's asleep...will it cause you to wing?...I don't know but I won't be doing it while he sleeps. I want him awake so I can...experiment."_ She opened the door to her secret room. Stepping in, she laid down on her bed. It was large and filled the entire floor inside. There were computer screens on every available wall space. Most of which had since been dedicated to information on Naruto.

Matsu sat up suddenly and moved to the main keyboard. She pressed enter to get the system up and running. The main screen came to life and she began to type. _"Let's see MBI's data on Naru kun...hehe..."_

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

 _-the next morning-_

Naruto yawned as he walked into the main dining room. Miya was absent and so was Uzume. But Kagari was there, working his way through a stack of pancakes. He looked up and said, "Morning Naruto...I didn't realize that your Musubi was a cook."

Naruto shrugged, "I didn't either...anyway where's the landlady and Uzume-chan got to?"

Kagari said, "Miya ran to the store for something. Uzume still hasn't returned from whatever she was doing.

That was weird but it didn't bother him overly much. He asked, "So Kagari have you seen Tsukiumi this morning? She wasn't there when I woke up." Kagari shook his head. Naruto sighed. "I was hoping she was coming so she could meet my mom." Kagari raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. At that moment Naruto was tackled from behind by Musubi. He reacted without thinking.

As the impact sent him forward, he planted his hands on the low table, using it to front flip away from his unseen attacker. At the same time his legs caught Musubi under the armpits. With his new strength, the move flung her over his back.

Homura watched the seemingly impossible maneuver. Naruto was in mid front-flip over the table, his feet flinging Musubi over him. Time seemed to freeze for a second. Naruto's head turning to see who it was... and Musubi's expression of surprise. Then life resumed a normal speed and Musubi smashed through the wall and out the other side as Naruto landed in a crouch on the other side of the table. Naruto was already in motion to see who he had tossed.

On the other side of the wall he heard Naruto apologizing. "I'm so sorry Musubi-chan..! I didn't mean to do that, you caught me by surprise!"

"It's ok Naruto san..." Homura leaned over to look through the doorway. Musubi was rubbing her head. Naruto was hugging her. He smirked thinking, _"Well...that's one way to start the day...exciting...that is until they have to explain what happened to the wall."_ He bent to continue eating.

Naruto sat down at the table a minute later still trying to comfort Musubi, who had recovered almost instantly from the minor concussion she'd suffered. Naruto's attention wasn't something she was going to refuse though so she played up her injury.

Akitsu walked in a minute later and blinked in surprise at the man sized hole in the wall. She turned to see Musubi rubbing her head and Naruto kissing her on the cheek. She frowned and moved to sit next to him as well. Naruto gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. She smiled and leaned on him, drawing attention away from Musubi. The brunet smiled, but she let her jealousy leak out a bit. Akitsu did the same, their eyes meeting as they both hugged their Ashikabi.

Naruto noticed their less than friendly staring contest and ruffled Musubi's hair, distracting her. At the same time he tightened his arm around Akitsu. Both girls settled next to him, Akitsu going so far as to close her eyes.

Naruto exchanged an exasperated look with Kagari who smirked and shrugged. Naruto asked his two Sekirei, "Ya know it is breakfast right now, Could you to maybe scoot for a bit so I can grab something to eat?" They "scooted" and let him stand. He went into the kitchen, closely followed by Musubi, who started on a new batch of pancake batter. Naruto pulled out a small container of ramen to tide him over till the pancakes were done. He went to the microwave and put the food in. He waited for it to finish as the smell of Musubi's cooking drifted to him. He smiled and closed his eyes.

 **Ooo**

 **Oooooo**

 **Ooo**

Yukari lay on her bed. She had seriously slept late. But then again...she deserved it. After what happened the previous day...oh yeah. 12 hours of sleep to the rescue. There was a shifting noise to her right and she leaned over the edge of the bed.

She almost collided with Shiina. His face stopping an inch from hers. Immediately his cheeks flushed crimson and she turned pink. "Good morning Yukari-sama."

She blinked and sat up. "Hey...no need to be calling me that... Yukari is fine."

He looked hesitant and said, "Ok...Yukari-san."

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He was just so...cute! He was the prettiest boy she's ever seen...and...- _demonic chuckle_ \- he was about her age. Not to mention he was...did she dare think... in love with her?

"I'm sorry...I'm not used to sleeping in a place like this... I moved the bed closer." Inwardly she grinned, He "moved the bed closer"..."place like this". It was like he was... trying to be closer to...her. Yukari said, "That's fine Shiina-kun."

His red cheeks turned redder and he looked away. He asked hesitantly, "Can...could I use your shower?"

Yukari wiped her nose where it had started to bleed. "Yeah...sure...go ahead." She thought, _"I wonder what he looks like... ahem... less... dressed... hehehe..."_ He thanked her and stood, walking across the small floor space to the bathroom. He slipped inside.

She fell back on her bed with a sigh. Yesterday had been one CRAZY day. She'd found Shiina being chased by a bunch of weirdly dressed girls. And they were all...how could she put it... psycho. She had bravely rescued the...cute boy...in distress and taken him home. _"Now he's in my shower and he doesn't have any clean clothes to wear... and..."_ Her perverted thoughts were put on hold as she heard the shower start up. She blinked slowly as she heard him moving under the spray from the shower. A devious smile crossing her lips.

 _"No bad Yukari! Bad bad Yukari! Don't think pervy thoughts._ She heard the shower cut out and then Shiina's voice asked, "Um...where's the soap?" Yukari turned slowly to see his head poking out of the bathroom. His hair was wet and his skin was red from the hot water... or was it him blushing? She swung her feet of the bed and slipped off. She moved to the shower door, hoping to get a peak, but it was no good.

Slightly disappointed she said, "There's soap in that little cabinet to the left there." He nodded and was about to turn. Yukari grabbed his shoulder before he could. "Um... Shiina... about that whole mucosal contact think you talked about last night..?"

He blinked confused, "Yes Yukari-san?"

She scratched the back of her head nervously, "Well... I'm not sure I could do that... But I'm not saying you're not cute or anything!...I mean I...but that's not what I'm trying to say..." She took deep breath and started again. "I'd like to get to know you a little before we kiss...ok?" If he hadn't been blushing before he was now. His eyes widened and his breathing changed, going faster. She leaned forward and...kissed his cheek, before drawing away and closing the door.

Yukari turned to jump back in bed. She giggled helplessly. That flustered, embarrassed, wanting look on his face was almost too much... She just had to do it. Yukari noted that the shower had yet to start ten minutes later. Her grin disappeared as she thought, _"Is he still standing in there frozen or something...I think I broke him..."_

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Tsukiumi lay on the roof of Izumo Inn and tried to settle her thoughts. She had been lying here for hours. And she still hadn't mustered the resolve to go back inside...or leave. Every time she stood to leave the roof doubt nagged at her. Her mind conjured up images from her dreams and from her recent time with Naruto. It was tearing her apart...and she didn't have much time to decide what to do. Her internal clock told her that it was close to 1:00 now. Naruto and the others would be leaving to meet his mother at the hospital.

She heard the sound of the front door opening. Crawling over to the edge of the roof she saw them. Naruto was with Akitsu and Musubi. Both girls waiving back at someone inside the doorway. Tsukiumi heard the familiar voice of Kagari inside saying, "Safe journey Naruto! and don't go fainting on those two." Naruto nodded, grinning. He turned and walked out of the walled yard. She saw him speak to Musubi, though she couldn't hear what they said anymore.

Then Naruto looked back at the Inn. His eyes met hers and she realized she was discovered... He waived to her and then turned down the sidewalk. Tsukiumi's mind raced. Had he known she was there or did he not care... or was he trying to say it was her choice...? Tsukiumi leaped off the roof. Her path took her over the wall where she landed just behind the group of three.

Musubi turned and smiled, "Tsukiumi! Are you coming!?" She ran and hugged her, then returned to stand with Naruto who looked surprised by her appearance.

"I shall come with thee...to meet thy mother."

Naruto shrugged. "Ok...then come on. We're already a bit late and my mom's kind of paranoid." Tsukiumi nodded and the four of them set off.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Shiina walked just behind Yukari as they searched the city. After telling her that he was looking for his little sister Ku, she had immediately agreed to help find her. She was single minded when it came time to the search. They'd already been at it for a few hours and she hadn't slowed down at all. Not that he minded.

The only think that made him uncomfortable was the fact that she constantly held his hand. He was sure she didn't understand what he meant when he said he was reacting to her. She probably thought that he liked her a lot... which he did, but it was beyond that. He'd been reacting to her since she saved him from the Sekirei who had been hunting him. And every time she would smile...or laugh it made his heart beat faster. He thought, _"She almost killed me kissing me like that..."_

As they turned a corner, they saw three people. Yukari recognized one of them. It was the girl with the whip from the previous day. She was standing over a boy and a girl. The girl was dressed strangely and had a long staff clutched in one hand. Yukari turned to him. "Shiina! That power you told me about! Use it!"

He gulped and tried to explain, "Yukari san...I can't without a special injection or... after I've been winged." She growled and turned back. The girl with the whip had realized who they were the moment she saw them.

Her face twisted in anger and she shouted, "It's you two! Do you know how pissed my master was after you escaped from me! Bastards! I'll get you this time." She cracked her whip and dashed at them. Yukari grabbed his arm and dragged him back around the corner.

Her head collided... pushed into... a pair of breasts. She leapt back and saw three people. Two girls, who looked like twins, and a man with a bag of groceries. Behind Yukari the whip girl had appeared. Time seemed to slow as Yukari saw the expression on the two girl's faces harden. Lightning started to crackle a moment later and she had a strong urge to duck. She flung herself to the ground taking Shiina with her.

Lightning crashed into Whip girl, sending her flying in a charred heap. Hibiki smirked. She'd wanted to electrocute that bitch for a while now. Beside her, Hikari smiled as well. She pondered aloud, "Did that feel as satisfying for you as for me?" She nodded and looked down. There was a dark haired girl with a young man. They both looked up a moment later as the lightning was dissipating around the twin's fingers.

The twins sounded curious, "And who are you two?" Yukari stood up, unphased by their display of power. She said, "My name is Yukari and this is my friend Shiina." Yukari paused for a moment before asking, "You're Sekirei right?" One girl nodded. Yukari asked, "And...um, is he your Ashikabi?" She pointed to the man standing behind them.

The man, Seo by name, blinked in surprise and momentary fear. One of the twins turned to regard him with one eye. She said purposefully, "He wants to be, but he doesn't have the balls to try anything."

The other twin chuckled in an evil sort of way that made Yukari feel instant kinship with her. "He's sort of our guardian until we find an Ashikabi. People have started targeting us." She gestured to the charred Sekirei behind Yukari. "That one there belongs to an Ashikabi who has been trying to forcefully wing Sekirei."

Yukari nodded. She knew that much already. Beside her Shiina tugged on her sleeve. Then she remembered. She asked the twins, "Have you seen a little girl with blond hair...she's a Sekirei. Shiina is looking for her. Her name is Kusano."

The twins thought for a moment. Then one of them tugged at a lock of hair. "Well, we saw a little girl in the northern part of the city...She was in that small wooded park."

Yukari turned to Shiina saying, "I know where they're talking about. Let's go!" She dragged him past the trio at a run.

Hikari and Hibiki watched them disappear around a bend in the road. Hibiki stated flatly, "That was the most submissive Sekirei I've ever seen. He didn't even speak."

Hikari commented, "It doesn't really matter does it. Even a shy one like that could kill us if he were winged."

Both girls turned to Seo. Hikari said, "We're going off. You head back to the apartment."

Seo nodded dejectedly, "Yeah ok, You two just disappear on me again. Make sure you two don't get captured or that Homura guy will have my head."

Hibiki smiled, "Wouldn't dream of it." They both crouched and leapt off.

Seo watched them go, not particularly disappointed. They were quite...deadly to him. He got shocked regularly just trying to make small talk with them. Sure they were hot, but a guy could only survive getting struck by lightning so many times. He continued alone the way he had been going. He thought to himself, _"Maybe I can find myself a less aggressive Sekirei while their gone...?"_

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Naruto walked into the hospital with the three girls in toe. He immediately saw his mother. She was fairly tall, with silver hair. Her skin was pale from working indoors and she had a mark on her left eye. A new mark. He ran over to her. She turned just in time to receive his bear hug. Naruto stopped just in time, his new strength causing her back to pop loudly.

He took a step back and grinned. Takami smiled back, rubbing her sides. She said, "Long time no see Naruto. You weren't kidding about the strength boost I see."

He nodded. "What happened to your eye?"

She scowled and rubbed a hand over the long scar. "Do you remember that girl you and #88 Musubi defeated? Well that was #43 Yomi and she gave me this when I tried to prevent her from taking a young Sekirei." Takami grimaced. It was obvious that it was an encounter she would have preferred to forget.

"Well she's not going to cause anyone anymore trouble...Musubi took care of her."

Takami nodded. "I know that, but that's beside the point. We didn't come to discuss my hurts. We need to check up on you."

There was a shout behind Naruto, "She is thy Mother!?" Naruto turned to see Tsukiumi gaping at him in shock. Akitsu also seemed surprised. Musubi seemed confused.

Naruto tried to calm her down, "Tsukiumi-chan. I told you my last name didn't I?" The blond walked up to look him in the eye.

"Thy did indeed, but you declined to mention her name!"

"Come on! How was I supposed to know about all this at the time? Anyway, It's not like it matters who my mom is!"

He turned back to his mother. "Right?"

Takami shrugged dismissively. "Listen Naruto, why don't you come with me? Your Sekirei and Tsukiumi can wait out here." He turned to Musubi and Akitsu, giving each of them a quick kiss before turning back to his mother. Takami looked a bit surprised but motioned to the hall behind her. Naruto then followed her out of the waiting area.

Musubi and Akitsu watched him go, still savoring the lingering warmth from his touch. Tsukiumi, agitated and confused found a seat and plopped down into it. She crossed her arms and closed her eyes. A moment later here eyebrow twitched as Musubi and Akitsu sat down on either side of her. Both of them were too close for comfort.

 **Ooo**

Takami closed the door behind her as Naruto took a seat on rather uncomfortable hospital bed. He looked around. The room was filled with the normal equipment. But there was a lot of other stuff he didn't recognize. He saw Takami walk right past the regular medical stuff, and straight to a lab style moving table. She rolled it over to the side of the bed. With practiced precision she took a needle and pushed it into his arm. He felt nothing as she withdrew a vial of blood.

Curiosity overcame him before long. "Hey mom, how did you get so good at this stuff?"

She drew out a second, much smaller needle, which she then stuck into his arm. She answered as she worked, "I have been a researcher for MBI since it was first founded. Right now I'm chief researcher. I used to do this kind of thing twenty or thirty times a day for various Sekirei. I've become rather good at it. Some of the Sekirei were very fidgety about needles."

She withdrew the second needle and moved to where a giant monitor sat on the table. It had several machines he had never seen before. One machine accepted the two vials of blood. The smaller vial was inserted into a closed part of the machine and a moment later the tv screen came to life. It was filled with eight or nine different charts that were already adjusting themselves. Takami's eyes scanned over these readings before turning back to him. She let out a long breath and began to explain.

"It looks like your ancient Sekirei blood, which allows you to become an Ashikabi, has been...for lack of a better word, awakened. It seems that, at the moment your body has manifested physical changes, becoming stronger and more adaptable."

Naruto flexed his hand. "Yeah, I figured out the strength part already, but what do you mean by more adaptable?"

Takami continued, "What I mean by that is simple. Your body is changing at an accelerated rate to adjust to the amount of power you are gaining. Just because you can suddenly rip steel beams in half, doesn't mean your bones are dense enough to take the strain. Every part of you is adapting as we speak."

Takami gestured to the chart on the left of the screen. There were two lines. One was relatively flat, going up slightly at the end. The other line started out near the same point and rose steeply all the way across. Takami said, "This first line shows the physical adaptation of a normal Ashikabi. You see since all Ashikabi have at least a small amount of Sekirei blood, they gain a fractional power increase from their Sekirei partners. However since most Ashikabi might have two or less Sekirei in their family line, going back thousands of years...the amount of strength they gained would be so small even they themselves wouldn't notice."

She pointed to another graph. "Furthermore, your strength, speed, and general physical aptitude has skyrocketed. Right now you're about eight times as strong as a fit human male. That's on par with a second tier melee type Sekirei. Basically your stronger now than Yomi ever was. Your almost as strong as she would be using her incantation." Naruto blinked in amazement. It was incredible.

He asked, "So what about my reflexes. This morning I accidently pulled a standing front flip while flipping someone over my head with my feet alone. That sounds kinda similar."

Takami looked back at the charts saying, "Raw reaction times are harder to measure, but I think it's safe to assume that they have increased as well." She coughed lightly, "That isn't the important part though... Look here."

She was pointing at a large chart that showed over a hundred bars, each with their own measure. Takami said, "There have been many Sekirei over the thousands of years since they first arrived here on earth. They crash landed just like the ones here in the city did. And they weren't all the same as you can guess by your own Sekirei's differences. Akitsu has control over ice and Musubi is extraordinarily strong and fast. I found out that some Ashikabi have dormant powers that don't match the abilities of any of the Sekirei we have here in the city. The thing is that they can't use these strange hidden powers because they don't have enough Sekirei blood to draw their powers out."

Takami pressed a series of buttons. She pointed to the different levels. All of them seemed very low. Naruto asked, "What are those?" She said, "These are 125 of the known abilities we have discovered. I have significant ties to only three out of the 125." She clicked on the three in question. They enlarged and Naruto read, "El-Air, Sr-Regen, and TEl-AU...? What are those?"

She turned to face him saying, "El-air stands for elemental control over air. It means that somewhere, far back in my family line there was a Sekirei who could control air currents. Sr-regen stands for the ability to regenerate from damage at a greatly accelerated rate. TEl-AU stands for the ability to manipulate pure gold with your mind alone. All this means that I had three different Sekirei in my ancestral line." She poked him in the chest, "Your ancestral line."

She looked back to the graph. Then typed in more codes, bringing up a second chart. "This is the same chart for you. You have the same three abilities from me as well as two from your father it seems..." She went silent for a moment and then brought them up to full screen.

All five of them were at a far higher level than hers. Even his lowest was twice as high as all three of hers combined. He asked, "So does this mean...I'm more Sekirei than Ashikabi?"

She nodded. Her next words caught him off guard, "In fact you're more Sekirei than human at this point. Whatever Minaka did, it awakened all your Sekirei blood at once. Brought it back up to useable levels."

Naruto let his jaw drop for a second before asking, "I..I can control gold with my mind, I can use wind and regenerate!? That's Awesome!"

Takami said irritated, "Yes that's all well and good, but you are a young man already. All 108 Sekirei were trained from the moment they could walk to control their powers. You have level five wind control at this point. You could quite accidently blow someone to pieces with that kind of power."

That put things in perspective. "Ok...I guess I'll have to be real careful from now on. But what are the two abilities I got from my dad?"

There was a moment of silence before Takami turned to click on those two bars. They enlarged filling up the screen. Research folders showed on either side for them. The names for them were EM-L3 ED-L3. Naruto blinked in confusion and asked, "So what are they?"

Takami growled, "They're exceedingly dangerous powers. Em-L3 stands for "energy manipulation. The L3 simply stands for level three."

Naruto was still confused. "So what exactly does it do?"

She sighed, "It doesn't really have a clear definition. It's the ability to take energy from one action, object, person, ect... and turn it into pure energy. Which can then be absorbed or released. If you absorbed it...I don't really know what would happen. This is one of those untested powers. None of the 108 Sekirei have this ability." She shrugged, agitated by her lack of knowledge. She said, "Or you could literally turn it into any other kind of energy...I don't know, but this ability seems limited only by your imagination."

Something clicked into place in Naruto's mind. "So um...how do I use it?"

 **Ooo**

Tsukiumi was uncomfortable. So uncomfortable in fact that she had second thoughts about waiting here. She'd been sitting in the uncomfortable waiting room chairs for ten minutes, minding her own thoughts, when Akitsu had asked out of the blue, "Tsukiumi...why don't you ask Naruto-sama to wing you?"

That had started the whole thing.

Twenty minutes after that she was trying to defend herself against the verbal attacks of Akitsu and Musubi, both of them intent on discovering the source of her reluctance to wing herself on the blond Ashikabi. And her reason of, "I want to be the most powerful unwinged Sekirei" was wearing thin. She was starting to wonder about her reasons for not doing it herself. And Musubi describing what it felt like to be winged in great detail...didn't help.

Luckily though, she had stopped that particular torture. Now it was just them sitting there, in awkward silence, waiting for Naruto to return.

 **Ooo**

Takami tried to explain what it took to activate Sekirei abilities, but so far Naruto wasn't having much success. She told him, "It's like moving a new muscle that you've never moved before. Like if you only ever could raise one eyebrow and then figured out how to do the other one." Naruto shook his head saying, "It's more like trying to will my arm to move while I'm under anesthetic."

Takami grinned, "And I thought my explanation was pretty good for having never gone though it personally. Anyway, what power are you trying to focus on this time?" He gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes. He thought, _"MOVE DAMN IT!"_

They both felt a breeze spring up in the closed room. A light wind that circled once before disappearing. Naruto collapsed back on the bed. "That...was hard." It was a few moments before he sat up again. "I take it back. Your explanation was a lot closer."

Takami smirked. "So exactly what did you just do?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head and said, "Well, I kinda just shouted inside my head. It felt like, I don't know...the same feeling you get when you remembered some name that's been on the tip of your tongue for an hour." That caused her to raise her eyebrow in amusement. "Let me try again."

He closed his eyes and tried to focus. He breathed in and out. Then exerted his will, attempting to stir the air in the room again. Then he felt it, the feeling like he'd just remembered. He latched onto it and pulled.

 **Ooo**

Tsukiumi, Akitsu, and Musubi all heard the bang and scraping sound coming from down the hall. They leapt up and ran to where Naruto had disappeared with Takami.

 **Ooo**

Naruto picked himself off the ground gasping in pain as he stood up. His mother did the same. There was blood dripping from his shoulder where a glass had smashed into him, cutting his skin open.

When he'd pulled on that little bud of power. The wind that had already appeared, became an instant hurricane. For a brief moment it sent everything in the room flying 180 degrees. Takami hitting the wall and the table, along with everything on it, slamming Naruto. The tv...miraculously, had survived it's tumble and subsequent crash. It wasn't on though. The power having been yanked out.

All the other glass objects scattered around the room couldn't attest to being in one piece. The only thing that hadn't moved was the heavy machine that had taken his blood. It sat where it had been before the blast.

As he straightened, the door burst open and Tsukiumi stepped in, followed by his two Sekirei. All of them looked concerned. Tsukiumi looked around the room.

It looked like a tornado had hit...literally. Everything was everywhere. Papers shredded and on the floor, glass shattered everywhere, and the many wires and instruments were tangled in heaps. Beside her Musubi asked, "Naruto-san...! What happened!?" Naruto was already standing, his shoulder bloody and a cut above his right eye, welling with blood.

Tsukiumi demanded, "What hath happened here Naruto?!"

He scratched the back of his head nervously. When he spoke he sounded apologetic. "Sorry about that...I was kinda experimenting." He grinned, managing to look both contrite and guilty.

Akitsu didn't seem bothered by the mess. She walked past Tsukiumi and though the wreckage, to Naruto side. She looked up at him, seeing his cuts from the glass. She quickly bent down and picked up a towel, shaking it out as she stood back up. Then she wiped the blood from the cut over his eye. Akitsu blinked in surprise but didn't comment. There was no longer any cut there. Naruto wiped the bed off and sat there as Akitsu inspected his other slight injuries.

Takami moved through the mess and picked the TV up, setting it back on the table. She then cleared the debris from the table and found the keyboard. After a moment she had it running again. She watched as Musubi moved to sit by Naruto as well, while Tsukiumi stayed by the door way. It seemed to her that Tsukiumi was trying to force herself to reject Naruto. She thought, " _What she doesn't understand is that she will be forced to kiss someone she dislikes if she takes too long. Minaka can't truly start phase two till all Sekirei are winged."_

As she worked to get the test results back on screen Musubi asked, "Naruto...how did you heal? Or where did this blood come from?"

Naruto turned to her, "Hey mom, my shoulder has already healed. It's been a couple of minutes max. Is this what you meant by regeneration?" Takami nodded and found what she was looking for.

She walked over to look at Naruto's shoulder where Akitsu had removed his shirt. There was blood smeared on his skin, but there was not cut or sign of a scar. "Most Sekirei have a much greater rate of regeneration than humans. Even the weakest Sekirei heal three or four times as quickly. Judging by how fast that healed. I would say that you're doing double that easily."

Musubi asked, "But why is he healing like a Sekirei?" She sounded extremely confused.

Takami explained slowly, "His Sekirei blood has been reinvigorated. He is almost 80% Sekirei right now, though he's still an Ashikabi. He's just a very strong Ashikabi."

Tsukiumi stepped further into the room. She glanced around at the destruction. She asked, "He did this using his powers?"

Naruto gave her the thumbs up. She tried to hide her shock, but it wasn't working. Naruto let his hand drop. "Um...sorry if I worried you."

His words sent a pang of want though her. Tsukiumi inwardly cursed. She was reacting to him again. Forcing her body into submission she said, "That is fine Naruto, I...I wasn't worried about thee."

From where Akitsu sat there came a sarcastic comment, "So why exactly did you say, _I'm just worried about Naruto,_ When we asked why you came?" Tsukiumi went crimson and her jaw clamped shut. She did a turn on her heel and almost ran out of the room. Naruto watched her go.

He asked his mom, "What's wrong with Tsukiumi-chan?"

Takami said, "She is desperately trying to ignore her instincts. Every part of her, except maybe her pride, is telling her to be your Sekirei. She's just too stubborn to admit that she wants it."

As Naruto looked at the open door it occurred to him that his mother was being very open to the fact that he had three girls...in that situation. He opened his mouth to ask her about it when a phone rang. It wasn't his.

Takami swore loudly and pulled out her cell. She answered it gritting her teeth, "What is it?" To Naruto and the others it seemed like she was getting bad news. She went rigid and said, "Ok...I'll be right there. Don't do anything stupid." Then she hung up.

She quickly pressed the button to withdraw the large vial of his blood. She put it into a case which she had by the bed. She spoke as she prepared, "Naruto, I want you to go back to where you were staying. #7 Akitsu, Since you have a large degree of control over your power, I want you to help train him."

She closed the case and looked around to see if she was missing anything. Then she turned to Naruto. She bent down and put her hand on his shoulder. Takami said, "Naruto, I'll call you as soon as I can and explain the rest to you. Be good to your Sekirei and don't worry if you get more." She kissed him on the forehead and turned to leave, but stopped. She looked back saying, "Oh by the way, Miya knows about the Sekirei plan. You can ask her if you need to know something."

A moment later she was gone. Naruto blinked as he heard his own phone ring. He took it out and answered it, "Hello?"

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

 **On to the next chapter loyal readers!... please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter four. How are you guys liking the little changes so far? Hope you like cause I'm posting all eight revised chapters today.**

 **(still don't own Sekirei or Naruto)**

 ** _Chapter 4_**

As Naruto answered the phone, he heard a click, followed by the plaintive sound that signaled imminent power failure. He dropped his hand, realizing that the battery was dead. _"Well, I hope that wasn't an important call..."_

Beside him Akitsu asked, "Who was it?" Naruto shrugged. He really didn't know.

Ten minutes later they were leaving the hospital themselves. Naruto made sure to accidently twist the door handle shut. He didn't need anyone finding their mess for a while. As he turned to look back at the imposing building he felt hunger gnaw at his gut. A second later it growled, alerting the others to their own depleted stomachs.

Musubi looked rather hungry as well. Naruto mentally weighed the consequences of taking her out to eat again against the puppy dog eyes he would likely get from her if he didn't agree. _"_ _I'm getting soft…"_

"Naruto...can we eat?!" He looked at the hopeful faces of his Sekirei, especially Musubi, and sighed.

"Yeah ok." He took them down town to the same buffet he gone to before. With three of them there he didn't feel vulnerable.

 **Ooo**

As they walked in to the restaurant the waitress showed them to a booth seat by the window. There was a problem with the seating however. Musubi and Akitsu arguing over who would sit next to Naruto. The waitress looked on in surprise and amusement as both girls became hostile. Naruto just looked on with a slight exasperated look which he knew was recognized by the young woman.

Musubi said, "I knew Naruto before you. I get to sit next to him."

"Ah…..I bathed with him… You haven't done that."

Musubi stood up on tippy toe to stare Akitsu in the eye, her fist's clenching. Akitsu returned the glare and the air around her became noticeable colder.

Naruto interrupted them before they could get too aggressive, "If you two don't settle down I'll sit at another table." He was gratified to hear both of their mouth's clamp shut. Naruto sighed and took Tsukiumi's hand allowing her to slip into the booth first. He sat next to her. Akitsu and Musubi were now looking at the blond as if betrayed. Naruto looked up and caught the expression's on their faces. "Ya know, I met Tsukiumi before either of you."

The two girls blinked. Akitsu sat down across from Naruto, Musubi following suit a second later. Naruto could feel the jealousy washing over him and Tsukiumi.

The waitress asked politely, "What were you going to have sir?" Naruto looked around the table and said, "Buffet for four please." She nodded and wrote something down. She left, but returned a few moments later with plates for them. Musubi knew the drill, but Akitsu and Tsukiumi just looked at their plates as if expecting something completely different.

Naruto thought, _"Oh... Jeeze, I guess neither of them have been to a buffet before. It shouldn't surprise me. Musubi hadn't been to one before either."_ He said to Tsukiumi, "Um, In a buffet you can eat as many servings as you like, but it's self serve. That's why they had all the food over there." He pointed to the four rows of countertops lined with different dishes.

Tsukiumi was red with embarrassment. Naruto stood up, taking his plate and leading her to the buffet lines. He began to gather food from the various trays. He glanced across to where Musubi was already in the third row, heaping wonton noodles onto one side of her plate. He raised a mental eyebrow at this and bent to the tray of orange chicken. Beside him Tsukiumi was trying to decide what to have. She'd obviously never even been in a restaurant at all, regardless of style.

He found her confused frown to be highly amusing.

She turned to him ignoring the wide eyed looked from a few of the other customers. "What is thy preference Naruto? I have never tasted any of... this."

He smiled and began to put a little bit of everything on her plate, but stayed away from certain things. It wasn't like he was going to put anything on her plate that he couldn't eat if she disliked it. A few moments later they were all back at their table. Musubi was quite literally ripping through her food. Naruto wondered if she could even taste it. Akitsu had loaded half a dozen different kinds of sushi on her plate. Currently she was having a difficult time getting the right amount of soy sauce on them, as attested to by her expression whenever she spilled too much.

Naruto looked to his left again. Tsukiumi had yet to touch her food. He sighed and picked up a piece of teriyaki pork. He brought it to her lips. She turned red again and her mouth opened slightly as her breath sped up. He knew it was her body reacting to him again and he quickly took advantage of it. _"I'll take my breaks where I can get em."_ He pushed the bite of meat into her mouth. Her eyes went wide as he pulled his fingers from her lips.

Akitsu and Musubi had stopped eating to watch. Tsukiumi chewed and swallowed. A few seconds later she sighed and her shoulders relaxed. Naruto asked, "Well? How do you like it?" She nodded and used her chopsticks to take another bite. Her eyes closed as she enjoyed the flavor. Musubi started eating again, but Akitsu watched enviously as Naruto helped Tsukiumi sample the different foods.

Tsukiumi banished all thoughts of Sekirei and Ashikabi and just allowed herself to enjoy Naruto's attention. She wondered if this was what it felt like all the time. The heat in her chest that coursed through her seemed to magnify every time he touched her. The smell and taste of the food added to the sensation of her body's reactions. So far she couldn't find anything she disliked among what Naruto had picked. _"But is that just because he is giving me morsels by hand..."_ Tsukiumi shuddered as she looked to her right and saw Naruto lick his own fingers clean. Did he even know what it was doing to her to sit close to him like that? Even if he did, she honestly did know whether to be upset or pleased.

She looked across the table where the air seemed to shimmer with ice crystals. Akitsu was making her jealously known. As Tsukiumi watched, the water in her glass started to chill and then freeze. Naruto's voice cut her connection to her powers, "Akitsu-chan... stop it ok. I don't know what you're jealous for. Tsukiumi is my friend and I'm treating all of you, not just her. Besides, I want everyone to get along." The cold drained from the air, leaving the atmosphere much more cheerful.

Tsukiumi's mind added for her own benefit, _"All his Sekirei to get along..."_ She shook her head slightly trying to clear it, but her thoughts remained fuzzy. She wanted so bad, just to turn and... kiss Naruto. Her lips parted as she tried to resist the temptation to wing herself. It was driving her completely _insane._

Naruto said, "Tsukiumi-chan try this." He dipped a shrimp in sweet and sour sauce then offered it to her. She leaned forward and captured it. Her tongue unconsciously darting out to lick the red sauce from his fingers as she drew back. She savored it...and the contact with Naruto.

He felt his own cheeks tinge pink at the look of want on Tsukiumi's face. Her blue eyes were on him as she pulled back. He had a feeling that she was going to make a move but she continued to eat, slowly and deliberately.

A few minutes later Musubi came back with sixths and Akitsu with seconds. They continued to keep their semi-hostile gazes locked on Tsukiumi. Naruto finished eating about the same time that the others did. The waitress came by and he paid for the food. Then they were leaving the restaurant. He picked up a mint at the counter and popped it into his mouth. He handed out toothpicks to the girls as they left.

 **Ooo**

They headed back towards Izumo Inn at a steady pace. Musubi walked in the lead, followed by Naruto and Akitsu. Tsukiumi brought up the rear, but kept close to Naruto now. Akitsu occasionally shot a glance over her shoulder at Tsukiumi. Despite her body's reaction to Naruto, it was starting to annoy her. It wasn't as if they were holding hands in the restaurant.

It was only five or so minutes after they left the restaurant that Naruto halted them. Akitsu asked, "What is it Naruto-sama?" He pointed to where two figures were descending from the air at a rapid pace. A second later they landed. Before they could leap off again Naruto called out, "Hey you two!"

They both stopped and straightened. Indecision crossed their faces as he approached them.

 **Ooo**

Hibiki heard someone calling from the street. She grabbed Hikari's arm to stop her just before they were about to leap to the next block. The voice sounded familiar and as they turned, they saw him. It was the blond Ashikabi who had rescued the two girls they had gone after and both of those girls were with him. There was a third girl there as well. She looked...bored in an annoyed sort of way

Then the blond behind the boy stepped forward and water began to pour from the air around her forming a rippling whirl pool. She demanded, "# 11 Hikari and #12 Hibiki! I challenge you both of thee to a fight!"

Hikari looked at her nervously. She was spoiling for a battle and her Ashikabi hadn't even spoken yet. Behind Tsukiumi Naruto interrupted, "Tsukiumi-chan, no fighting. I just wanted to talk to them." Tsukiumi halted and let her water drop.

She turned in surprise, "But why? Naruto? They have tried to kill me before!"

He frowned and said, "And I stopped them from succeeding. I even made them promise not to do it again." He grinned, "Besides, if it wasn't for me helping you escape them, you probably would have tried to kill me...right?"

Tsukiumi stuttered, "I...uh...yes...I mean...no..." She turned red and let out a breath, "Yes Naruto, but...that's not the point I was making."

Naruto took a step forward and smiled, poking her in the chest. He said, "I know. Just forgive them ok." Tsukiumi nodded and he turned to regard the twins. Both of them looked surprised. Hibiki was a bit red. "How are you two making it?" They both looked at each other blinking in confusion.

Hikari asked, "You were worried about us?"

He shrugged, "I didn't think you two had an Ashikabi, so...yeah I was thinking you might have been attacked yourselves. I'm glad you weren't." The two sisters both felt a little warmth at his words. Hikari wondered if he was just saying that. "I also wanted to ask you if you two were still attacking unwinged Sekirei. It's been bothering me for a while now..."

"No we stopped. After someone stepped in to save us, we decided it would be best to just try our best with what we have." Hikari continued, "We even helped out a Sekirei and her Ashikabi earlier today." Hikari and Hibiki saw him smile.

"That's great, so uh...where's your Ashikabi?"

There was a long moment of silence in which the two sisters thought about how to answer. They both could feel blushes creeping up their cheeks. Hikari looked to her younger twin. Hibiki was very red. She'd even gone to fiddling with the ends of her hair. Her own heart was beginning to beat faster. Hikari realized why, _"Naruto is a powerful Ashikabi...that's why I'm getting this feeling. Oh god...am I reacting to him...? it feels like it. And sis looks like it's even stronger for her."_

Hikari managed to say, "We, Uh well, we don't have one." It seemed like the admission set off a hitch in her breathing and it was a conscious effort not to walk closer to Naruto. He suddenly seemed so appealing. She wanted to step in close and have him hold her. She wanted to know what he smelled like...

Naruto looked surprised himself. "But how did you survive, I mean Musubi and Tsukiumi don't know much about the most common stuff."

Hikari explained, "We met a man who's been taking care of us. He's lazy and rude, but he's good hearted." Hibiki nodded. "He'll be expecting us right now...we should probably go."

"If you say so. Just make sure you stay out of trouble."

They nodded and jumped away.

Tsukiumi blinked rapidly as they vanished. "Why did they just leave? I would have thought they'd have stayed for longer. Perhaps their friend is someone who needs their help as much as the other way around." Naruto shrugged, but felt as though he'd missed something, like an opportunity. He really didn't like the feeling for some reason.

He put it out of his mind. "Well, I'm sure we'll see them again. Let's go home already. I want to try some training with my new power!"

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Miya opened the door to let them in. She smiled in greeting. "How did it go?"

"Well, it was ok, but we kinda got cut short. Some emergency at MBI that mom had to take care of."

Miya showed no visible reaction to this but stepped aside as everyone entered. She did react when Naruto said bluntly, "Mom told me you could tell me about the Sekirei plan if I needed to know something. Is that true?"

She nodded slightly. "Everyone who lives here either knows or is involved with the Sekirei plan. Uzume is a Sekirei but her Ashikabi is hospitalized. I was on the first Discipline squad."

Naruto thought that was an interesting tid-bit. He waited as the girls disappeared inside the Inn. He asked, "Well, I wanted to do some training with Akitsu-chan in the back yard. Would it be ok if I..."

Miya nodded, "Yes, Of course. You can train all you want as long as it isn't a real fight. I have no qualms about you bettering yourselves. Just remember to do your chores."

Naruto scratched his head nervously at the dark aura that seemed to permeate the air around the land lady. "Hey...No need to be pulling that on me. My grandma used that enough that it doesn't really work on me anymore." Miya raised an eyebrow at that and then turned to go about her own business. Naruto stayed by the door as she disappeared around a corner. He let his shoulders slump thinking, _"But she sure knows how to make me feel uneasy..."_

Deciding to find Akitsu as soon as possible, he headed to his room. What he found there was slightly more interesting than training. He opened the door just in time to see Tsukiumi unclipping her bra, letting it fall to the floor. His eyes strayed of their own accord. Taking in every inch of her, save for what little her panties still covered. Her skin was flawless and light gold in the light from the windows. Every part of her was toned and fit. Naruto found himself admiring her extremely full breasts when she let out a gasp and fell to her knees.

He jumped forward worried, "Tsukiumi-chan! What's wrong? Are you ok?" She was breathing very hard and she dropped to her hands. She panted, trying to muster the strength to do anything. Naruto placed a hand on her shoulder and took her arm, helping her to sit up. She came easily, letting him pull her up. He was unprepared as she fell against him, her hands grabbing fistfuls of his shirt. Her head rested on his chest.

She felt incredibly hot to the touch, as though she had a fever and she trembled slightly in his arms. Then he felt her push her face into his chest, almost nuzzling him. The feel of her mostly naked body on his as she rubbed against him. It was turning him on despite his slight worry. Tsukiumi's movements were needy and her cheeks were dark crimson when she looked up. Her lips formed slow words, "A..shi..ka...bi..."

Her body was on fire. Even the tips of her fingers burned. Perhaps because she was so close to him...and she was almost naked. He smelled like the restaurant, but there was something musky overlaid with mint. It made her want to bury her face in his chest or in his neck or hair. His strong arms wrapped around her as she drank in his scent. She flexed her hands and rubbed her thighs together. The pleasure that seemed just a touch away, it was driving her crazy. Making her want to... to make contact. To lean up and ...

 **Ooo**

Matsu growled to herself. The view of Naruto's room showed Tsukiumi. She was clinging to Naruto. It was obvious that she was one step away from kissing Naruto. Matsu's eyebrows stitched together in frustration. Yet another complication. It had been hard enough to find an opportunity to get Naruto alone, but with that possessive girl as his Sekirei...It would be twice as hard.

She saw Naruto raise his hand to caress her cheek. From a dozen angles she watched as Tsukiumi pushed Naruto backward. Tsukiumi's lips moved forming words she couldn't make out. Then she was dipping down to him.

 **Ooo**

Naruto let Tsukiumi push him down and climb over him. Her face hovering a few inches from his own. She murmured, "Nar...ru...to..." Her eyes closed as she bent to kiss him.

Deep blue wings swirled into existence behind her as Naruto levered himself to his elbows, pushing back into the kiss. Then he was on top. His arms pinned her down while wings burst, energy crashing out in a wave. He felt a cold current against his skin, like an invisible stream. At the same time Tsukiumi radiated heat into him, capturing the cold and reversing it. She pulled her hands free and they buried in his hair.

There was a dripping sound as he pulled back. Tsukiumi looked up at him, her chest rising and falling steadily. Her hair, his hair, even his clothes were soaked. Water had come out of nowhere. Tsukiumi glistened with it, granting her flushed body and erotic coating. He let his eyes wander over her. Crystal clear water seemed to be pouring from the air its self. Already it was swirling around her on the floor, spreading out around them.

He ignored it and bent to kiss her again. She accepted the kiss, opening her own mouth to him. The heat didn't diminish. It intensified. Naruto felt moisture running down his back, under his shirt. The clear pool around them rippled, it increased in volume, but stayed close to them. It pulsated almost rising into the air.

Naruto's hand slid down Tsukiumi's neck, and over her chest. He traced his fingers over her breast as he drew back once more. Tsukiumi rose to him and nibbled at his whisker marks. He shuddered, his power unconsciously rippling out though the room. Tsukiumi's eyes met his. The blue of her own becoming lost in the deeper indigo of his own. She said, "With this as my vow... thy Sekirei I will be...for many years to come..."

As she said it, the water around them, which had risen to form tendrils around them, crashed down. The energy that had controlled them dispersed. Naruto and Tsukiumi felt it lap at them, cold after the heat of Tsukiumi's emergence.

From the doorway behind them there was a quiet voice, "Well said."

Naruto turned to see Miya standing there, a small smile on her face. One hand loosely held her wooden training sword. Naruto let his hands fall to his sides as Miya smirked. The landlady raised one eyebrow. "Well, don't look so guilty. It's not as though I can scold you right now." She twirled on one heel, saying simply, "Just know that this is the limit to how far you are allowed to go within my home." Almost as an afterthought she added, "And clean up all that water would you."

Miya vanished down the outside corridor. Naruto let out a sigh of relief. He glanced back at Tsukiumi. "Well...that was intense." She nodded, seeming to realize at that moment that she was almost naked. Tsukiumi tried to cover herself, her hands retreating from their strong hold in his thick blond hair. Naruto got to his feet and helped her up as well.

He looked around the room. "So what's up with the water?"

Tsukiumi raised an eyebrow. "Thy seemed unbothered by it a minute ago."

Naruto grinned nervously. "Yeah...I was kinda busy. Anyway, it's fine as long as this sort of thing doesn't happen every time." He didn't realize he's said something wrong until she had him by the front of the shirt.

"What does thou mean by that!?"

Naruto said quickly, "I'm not talking about kissing you, I'm talking about the water thing!"

"Explain!"

Gestured wildly. "What if I winged someone who controlled fire! I'd be burned to a crisp!" Tsukiumi's expression softened and she turned away from him.

"Perhaps we should clean this up before Miya returns..."

Naruto agreed with her on that even as he mental considered the possibility of her being bipolar.

A while later the mess was cleaned up. Tsukiumi took the clothes and sheets to hang out on the line. Naruto went to look for Akitsu.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Naruto found her in the back yard. She was sitting on the wall looking up at the blue sky. Gauging the height and the distance, he crouched. Naruto jumped and landed, rather hard, on the top of the wall. He flung his arms forward to stabilize himself. Akitsu reached out to steady him. After a second he found his balance and let himself relax.

Beside him Akitsu commented, "You need to practice using your new power in different ways Naruto-sama"

He nodded. The thought had occurred to him that he might not be ready for a fight like this. He was still too unstable. He wondered aloud, "I wish I knew how to use these abilities already. I know how to summon wind but I have no control..." He looked to his right. Akitsu had leaned against him, placing her head on his shoulder. Her eyes were closed. Smiling he wrapped his arm around her. "You tired already Akitsu-chan?" She shook her head slowly. "Then...uh what is...?"

Akitsu interrupted, "You winged Tsukiumi." It was a statement, not a question. Naruto thought he heard a note of jealously in her voice though. It worried him that she was still uncomfortable with Tsukiumi. He used his arm to pull her into his lap, while he managed to keep his balance with the other. Akitsu seemed startled, but quickly settled in his embrace. Naruto let his chin rest on the top of her head. "I want you to know Akitsu, that I care for you. It doesn't matter how many Sekirei I have. One or three or ten. I'll still care for you just as much."

She shifted and her hands clutched at his arm whispering softly, "I just want to be of use to you...I don't want to be left alone. You won't forget about me will you?"

Naruto hugged her tight. Akitsu's words had made him think about what his own goals were. Right now he was a student, though he doubted that would last long. The Sekirei plan's second stage would eventually have to start. Both his Sekirei and his mother had filled him in enough to realize that once he became an Ashikabi, his normal life was over. "Akitsu-chan...I will never abandon you ok. You can stay with me as long as you want. It doesn't matter if you're useful or not, as long as you're with me."

Her head turned back to look at him. She seemed confused, but answered him, "I want to stay with you forever Naruto..." Akitsu turned fully around so that she could push her face into his chest. Naruto waited as she assured herself of his solidity. She seemed warm and small in his arms like that.

After a few moments she looked up at him. "I want to help Naruto-sama...Let's train some." He ruffled her hair saying, "Ok Akitsu-chan."

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Miya was sweeping near the entrance to Izumo Inn. Today had certainly been interesting, and it was barely half done. She sighed and stopped sweeping. Miya thought, _"It seems that Naruto is well on his way to being the Northern Ashikabi. He reminds me so much of Takehito. It's almost scary how similar they are sometimes."_ She looked down at the floor in contemplation. _"He's winged Tsukiumi a single number. Currently he is strong enough to wing almost any Sekirei. I must keep an eye on Matsu. She will be spying on him. I'm sure of it. In fact I should watch Homura as well. He seems to be taking his hosting cover a bit too seriously these days."_

Naruto's strength as an Ashikabi was inceredbily strong… bodering on completely unnatural. And that was even before he'd been "tampered" with. She wondered how he truly felt about the Sekirei plan. _"_ _I'll have to speak to him about it in depth soon."_

There was a massive boom that echoed down the halls of the Inn, interrupting her thoughts with the force of a sledge hammer. Miya looked around quickly and discerned the direction of the sound. She darted to her room for her Katana. Her footfalls were completely silent as she grabbed it. Then she was flashing down the corridor.

She passed a startled Musubi and Homura as they peeked out of the dining room. Once she was outside she turned to move around the house. She already had an idea of what had happened. As she entered the back yard of the inn she saw...a crater.

 **Ooo**

Naruto had done everything right as far as he could tell, but something had been screwed up. He had focused his mind on the air around him like Akitsu had said. And then compressed it into a ball, but it had detonated in his face.

He sat up from the crater he was currently lying in. His clothes were shredded...or pulverized more like. They looked like they'd been thrown into a grinder. Pain slowly ebbed where his new regeneration ability had started to kick in. Naruto watched in amazement as the skin on his arm, which had been removed by the blast, re-grew. A moment later he was back to normal. His hands and face tingled a bit as he checked to make sure he could still make faces properly.

He was glad that he had this regeneration, otherwise he might have lost a few finger along with all the skin on his hands. As he sat there Akitsu ran over and hugged him tight. "Sorry Naruto-sama! Are you hurt?" Akitsu smoothed her hands over him, checking for wounds.

He tried to reassure her. "I'm fine, It stung a little is all."

A matter of fact voice commented, "It would have killed you instantly if you didn't have Sekirei durability." Naruto twisted around to see Miya. The land lady look concerned and took a few steps forward. "You will never master the wind like that. Compression must be paired with direction or it will blow up the moment you release the energy." Miya spoke to Akitsu, "I will help him train with wind. Your ice power is at cross-purposes."

Akitsu stood up, helping Naruto to his feet in the same movement. She bowed slightly to Miya before taking several steps back. She hoped that Naruto would have something she could help him with. She'd go crazy if she couldn't help him train or something.

Miya approached so that she was standing in front of Naruto. "Listen well Naruto-san. I will tell you how to use your powers, or at least the ones I know about. I can quite easily help you develop you wind powers. For now clear your mind."

He did as she asked, forcing all other thoughts out of his mind. It wasn't an easy task for him as it was for some. But after a moment he nodded to show he was ready. His eyes were closed tightly, both to help concentrate and to help protect his eyes if something went wrong again.

Miya ordered, "Tap into your power. You should be able to feel the breezes around you no matter how faint. Lock onto one and amplify it..."

Before she had finished speaking he was already doing just that. He focused on the bead of power in the back of his mind, selected a wind current at eye level and released his power. A split second later he was tackled to the ground as a keening sound like tearing steel blew over head. He opened his eyes and raised his head from where he was sprawled. Miya had forced him to the ground. Naruto quickly realized why. The breeze he'd amplified had sliced a great section of the large wooden fence off. Naruto forced himself to his elbows and realized that the damage was in a 360 degree circle around him. The fence had been cleanly sheared, as well as the building behind him. He did the mental calculations... If he'd still been there a second ago, he would have lost... most of his head.

Naruto made a second realization. Miya was lying on top of him. Her cheeks were slightly pink. He blinked in surprise but said, "Thanks...you're a life saver...literally."

She nodded and removed herself from him. Once she was standing she looked around herself. Her gaze took in the damage to house and fence. She sighed. "I'll call someone to come for repairs." Miya looked back at him. "I think that for now it would be best if you didn't use elemental wind while training." Miya moved to the fence and placed one hand over the new cut edge. Naruto saw a small smile barely curve the corner of her mouth. It seemed as though she was remembering something. Whatever it was, it passed quickly. The land lady left the back yard and entered the mansion.

Naruto turned back to see Akitsu. She was standing stock still with her back against the wall. Sometime during the last attempt she had moved all the way against the building. He saw something red on her face. He stood quickly and moved to her. There was a single drop of blood which had beaded on the tip of her nose. The slightest cut graced her skin. Naruto wiped it away. He understood that if she hadn't stepped back he would have accidently killed her.

Akitsu seemed frozen with this thought as well. She couldn't move...until he gathered her into a hug. Her arms circled his waist and she slumped against him. He said softly, "Sorry if I scared you. I'll try much harder to keep it under control next time. I won't jump ahead..." He nuzzled her with his cheek suggesting, "Maybe you could help me work on a different power..."

She pulled back and nodded quickly, suggesting, "How about your ability to gather gold...?"

Naruto blinked. "I hadn't thought of that since mom mentioned it. That sounds like a fairly non violent power. I'll give it a try."

 **Ooo**

Miya set the phone back in it's holder and walked into the kitchen. She'd called someone to do repairs on the house and the wall. It would take a little while for them to get the materials together and arrive. No doubt they would be having dinner with them. They would be starving. She had no doubt of that. Miya gathered ingredients for a stir fry. She had a not so strange feeling that things were going to get hectic soon...

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Two hours of trying to drag the gold from around him and concentrate it had taught Naruto something. First, he was not good at multitasking. Second, drawing on this new power was completely different from summoning wind.

It had been surprisingly easy to call on the power... but it was just so... exhausting. When first calling on his power he became aware of the minute traces of gold all around him. As well as large portions in the form of nearby jewelry and such. Deep in the ground he could sense larger amounts, but it was all just so difficult to concentrate on. He was unable to actually focus on more than three sources at the same time. He could do more if they were very close together, however it was still problematic.

Naruto folded in his legs and sank into a meditative state. Fatigue and hunger gnawed at him. In front of him he heard Akitsu encouraging him. "Try again Naruto-sama... how about a piece further down, just one at a time...?" He focused and reached for his power. It felt very different from accessing wind. Akitsu said that he could try the same mental exercise she used for drawing on large amounts of ice.

He'd asked her why she used it only for large amounts. She had said that she no longer needed the help for normal use of her power. She further explained that he should calm his mind. Then imagine a cloud in the air around him. That cloud represented the gold dust in the ground. All he had to do was will it to come together.

It wasn't easy and it wasn't hard. It was damn near impossible. Naruto didn't have the power to just drag it all up to the surface and bind it together. He had to focus hard on the ones he wanted and then through sheer will, move them though rock, soil and anything in the way.

As he cleared his mind for the attempt he was already reaching deep into the ground, seeking a suitable fragment. One that wasn't too far away and yet, wasn't a small piece that might have been closer. His mind's eye caught hold of one piece. Unable to tell exactly how large it was at that distance he pooled his will and formed a mental line between him and the nugget. It required an immense amount of concentration to reach out with his thoughts to check this cord.

It was as though he'd constructed a physical string between him and his target. He then had to check it for flaws while simultaneously keeping it stable. Sweat ran down his back in a cold line as he completed his first mental inspection. It was important that he continue checking it again and again as he worked. Lastly, and while maintaining the first two steps perfectly, he needed to concentrate all his remaining will to pull the line in.

Akitsu watched as sweat soaked Naruto's hair. He was trying so hard and the results could already be seen. The finest gold dust imaginable covered him. Mostly his face and arms, but it was in his hair too. Naruto said it was almost as hard to pull together large amounts of gold even if they were that close to him. It seemed to her that manipulating gold was much harder than ice. But it might just have been the fact that he was a human who had never had access to this power before.

She blinked in amazement as the muscles of Naruto's neck and chest corded out. The strain causing his body to tense up like a spring pulled taught. She felt something then, like the brush of an unseen hand. Akitsu realized what it was a second later at the feeling expanded. It was a mental space... a barrier that Naruto had created with his will. He could freely manipulate gold, but only within the barrier he created. The field of mental energy wouldn't affect anything else besides the gold he focused on.

Taking a few steps back just to be sure, she watched as the barrier expanded quickly, seeming to pull from the ground.

Five or so minutes later she saw it. A thin snake of liquid gold poured out of the ground, eerily similar to what water looked like in space. It spun in the air as more trickled out of the ground. When it had stopped there was a seven or eight inch wide sphere of gold. It wasn't stable, appearing to ripple like the surface of the sun. It was beautiful.

Then the barrier around Naruto popped like an overfull balloon and the gold instantly solidified. It fell to the ground in front of Naruto as he collapsed backwards. He let out a groan and tried to shift.

Naruto felt a cramp stab into several muscles and he bolted to his feet, his hands and neck all spasming painfully. He immediately tripped over the uneven orb of gold and fell, face first in the dirt. He forced himself to sit up as his body recovered from the strain of using his power like that. Akitsu came over and knelt next to him. She suggested, "You shouldn't push yourself Naruto-sama. You're exhausted from trying that too many times." She looked to the gold sphere. "But I'm amazed you could do that so quickly."

He leaned back using her as a support. She allowed him to catch his breath, secretly wishing it was the other way around. It would have been so nice if she was resting on him like this. She thought, _"I should exhaust myself sometime. Then I can sleep in Naruto-sama's lap..."_

Her thoughts were cut off by Naruto regaining his stamina. He stood up and at the same time, picked up the gold orb. It was extremely heavy and it occurred to him that he should never have tried to gather so much. Near the end when he'd had all the gold hovering in the air, he pulled the dust from his hair and skin. It had caused his concentration to run out on him. Akitsu asked as he examined it, "Ah… what will you do with it?"

He didn't really know. Then he thought, _"Hell, This is probably the most valuable object I've ever held in my hands. There's more than a few thousand American dollars in just one ounce. This thing is more than five pounds...probably over ten. No wonder I'm wiped right now."_

With orb in hand he turned to head into the mansion. Akitsu followed him as he made his way through the rooms and corridors. Eventually he walked into his own room. He was slightly surprised to see Tsukiumi there. Usually she was on the roof or in town, but today she was in their room. She looked up as he entered. Her cheeks started to turn pink. Naruto glanced at this and walked to the dresser on the corner. He set the orb on top, positioning so it wouldn't roll off. When he looked back at Tsukiumi he noted that her cheeks were now a light shade of red. She was fidgeting and her eyes were cast to the side.

He walked over to her and knelt down. She asked hesitantly, "What does thy want...Naruto-kun?"

"I want to know what's the matter with you."

Tsukiumi was startled but Naruto continued, "I might be a bit slow sometimes, but I can sort of tell what you're feeling. Something is wrong. You can tell me Tsukiumi-chan."

She looked away and shifted so that her hand brushed his. She started to speak but stopped herself. Then, as if berating herself for doing so she said, "It's not that Naruto. Your aura is simply growing stronger. My body's reaction can't be helped."

Naruto raised an eye brow and inquired, "Aura...What aura are you talking about?"

Her eyes darted to him, her lips parted and she took a steadying breath. Slowly she explained in full. "You see Naruto-kun. When you are a human with Sekirei blood you are physically compatible with some Sekirei and emotionally compatible with others. If you are physically compatible it means thy are capable of winging said Sekirei. If it is the other way around...it means that you are lacking in power, but you can still bond with that Sekirei."

Tsukiumi adjusted herself so that she was sitting straight and looking at him directly. She continued, "However with each Sekirei you wing your power grows. An Ashikabi with one Sekirei might be compatible with three others, but an Ashikabi with four Sekirei might be able to wing a dozen others." She leaned forward and... only slightly embarrassed, wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thou art the most powerful Ashikabi I have met. You have three Sekirei. At this point you are strong enough that our bodies react just by being around you."

Naruto's jaw dropped. "Wait...reacting...that's the same as...!" He felt Akitsu wrap her own arms around him as well. There was a breath at his ear followed by a nibble.

Tsukiumi finished his sentence, "Yes Naruto-kun...reacting is very...um...similar to being aroused..." She pressed forward and kissed him, her body molding to his. Naruto experienced the not unpleasant feeling of being sandwiched between two extremely attractive girls. He was aware that Akitsu was attempting to remove his shirt, but since Tsukiumi was still latched on to him, that wasn't going to happen.

Instead she snaked her hands up the back of his shirt and over his chest. She then proceeded to nibble and bite at his neck. Tsukiumi parted from him briefly. Her fingers found the edge of his shirt. Now that the two girls were working towards a common goal, his shirt was gone in no time. As the neck of the shirt pulled over his head he asked, "Tsukiumi?! What are you trying to do...Akitsu? I thought you were jealous of Tsukiumi!"

Both Sekirei halted in their moves. Almost as if becoming aware of the other for the first time.

Tsukiumi said coldly, "Thou are not welcome Akitsu." The temperature dropped several degrees prompting Naruto to shiver.

"Hey...um, I think I'll take a bath..." He swiftly extricated himself from their grasp. As he left the room he added, "Don't follow me in either."

As he left Tsukiumi and Akitsu glared at each other. Akitsu accused, "You scared him off!"

Tsukiumi crossed her arms and reasoned, "It was thy cold spell that caused him to leave. Don't put the blame on me frost woman!"

 **Ooo**

Naruto opened the sliding door to the bath and heard a splash from inside. He decided to air on the side of caution. "Hey, who's in the bath?"

Kagari's voice came from inside. It seemed a bit high-pitched. "I'm here, but could you wait a moment? I'll be out in five." Naruto said that was fine and left. Still without a shirt he wandered though the house. He didn't really know why Kagari was so shy.

A thought occurred to him, _"Maybe he's a Sekirei...nah. Every Sekirei I've met was a girl, not to mention that I've never seen him do anything overly special. He doesn't seem super strong or super fast. But if he worked with MBI, Wouldn't he work at MBI tower instead of a host for some club?"_ Naruto put it out of his mind and walked into the kitchen.

Miya was chopping vegetables. Musubi was there a well, keeping an eye on a pot of rice. Miya turned to him. "Why aren't you wearing a shirt? Indecent dressing isn't allowed in Mansion Izumo."

Naruto looked down at himself and then back at her. "This...isn't indecent, besides...if I go back for my shirt I'll probably lose my pants in the process." His eyebrow raised at her. "Unless your telling me to put a shirt on for your own benefit."

Miya blinked and coughed lightly, deciding to pretend she didn't hear that last part. "Should I have a talk with Tsukiumi or Akitsu?"

He grinned. "Well if you had to talk to one, then you'd have to talk to both... anyway..." He looked away just in time to hear the door bell ring.

"Would you get that for me Naruto-san?" He nodded and walked out of the room and down the hall to the main door

 **Ooo**

Hikari and Hibiki moped. Seo had dragged them along to Miya's place to help with repairs. However that was just what he said. What he really had planned, was mooching a meal off her. At the moment he stood there at the door after ringing the bell. He was in his most gallant pose, as though he had rushed here the moment he got the call. As opposed to taking as long as he could to gather materials so he could work up a good appetite.

Hikari whispered to her sister, "If he was any more lame he wouldn't be able to walk." Hibiki nodded and said, "Yeah, and why did we get dragged along anyway. We're just going to get a lecture from Miya again."

Seo glanced back at them. "I can hear that. I'm not mooching. She actually has a job for me this time, besides we can get some money for food."

Hikari muttered, " _We wouldn't have to if you would just take a construction job from MBI..."_

He pretended not to hear her and turned back to the door as it opened. Seo found himself nose to chin with a tall blond boy. He looked strikingly similar to... Seo blinked in surprise and stuttered out, "Hey ...who are you?!"

Hibiki and Hikari both looked and saw Naruto in the doorway. He was shirtless, showing off his lean muscle. His skin was slightly flushed as though he had just been exercising. Both of them felt heat rising in their chests. Hibiki's breath hitched and she felt her knees go slightly weak, a compulsion rising in her. Hikari felt the same urge to rush to Naruto and wing herself.

They heard Naruto. "Hey! you guys are the ones Miya called for repairs?" He looked surprised.

Seo looked slightly irritable "You didn't answer me, who are you?"

Naruto reached his hand out and Seo took it. He smiled and shook his hand saying, "Name's Naruto Sahashi, and you are?" Seo introduced himself and then turned to introduce the girls. He was interrupted however.

"We've already met. I gave them a hard time for going after unwinged Sekirei."

Seo's mind turned sideways for the second time. This kid was a Sahashi and he was the same guy who Hibiki and Hikari had told him about. What was crazy was the fact that he was at Izumo Mansion. That Miya would allow the son of...well, it was very surprising.

Behind him Hibiki lost the battle to control herself. She jumped past him and embraced Naruto. Startled he took a quick step back to balance himself. Then Hikari was there too. The added weight caused Naruto to lose his own battle, with gravity, and fall. He threw his hand out behind him and came to a halt. Hikari and Hibiki were both breathing hard and their cheeks were bright red.

Then just as both twins were leaning forward, there were three sharp thwacks. The twins pulled back massaging their head. Naruto winced at the pain and craned his neck back to see Miya. She was holding a butcher knife in one hand and a large metal spatula in the other. She said as her demonic visage formed in the air, "No explicit sexual activity, no unauthorized entry, and no jumping Naruto-san."

Seo and the twins cringed away from the spectral evil that radiated from Miya. Naruto asked, now rubbing the top of his head, "When did you make the third one up?"

Miya's eyes flashed and she turned around and stalked back into the kitchen. Naruto got to his feet and brushed himself off. He sighed. "You should probably come in."

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

 **And that's a wrap. Still going so make sure you review on the changes I'm making.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Welcome one and all! (except for you flamers out there) Come and read the new rewrite of chapter 5! Anyway… here you go!**

 **(not owning Sekirei or Naruto ya know)**

 ** _Chapter 5_**

The twins sat with Seo at dinner an hour or so later. Miya sat to their right with Uzume while Naruto sat across from them. His three Sekirei sat with him. Kagari sat easily to the twins left. Hibiki cast her eyes towards Miya. The landlady appeared to be focused on her food, but you could never really tell. Hibiki looked to Naruto as he joked with Uzume. He practically radiated power. It was intoxicating to be near him. She struggled to remember if she'd felt like this around him before. She decided that he hadn't been like this the last time they had met. She wondered what changed to make him so irresistible. Did he have more than Sekirei than she could see?

"Um...Naruto-san, how many Sekirei do you have?"

He looked to her. "Three, Musubi..." He ruffled her hair then gestured to Akitsu on Musubi's other side. "Akitsu..." Then he slipped his arm around Tsukiumi's shoulders, "And Tsukiumi, but just as of today." He smiled, "But please just call me Naruto. I don't really care for all the honorifics. But Miya and these three usually insist on using them anyway."

The twins were surprised. Hikari asked Tsukiumi, "You weren't winged when we met earlier?"

Tsukiumi shook her head. "Naruto winged me only a few hours ago." Her cheeks, which were already pink, darkened noticeably. She started on her food again, pretending not to notice as Naruto withdrew his arm.

"Then why do you have such a strong aura if you only have three Sekirei?"

Naruto thought he knew why they were asking. He hesitated to tell them about his abilities, but if they came around Mansion Izumo often, they would find out for themselves. Regardless, Miya or the others might let what they did know slip. Neither Musubi nor Akitsu were very skilled at keeping a secret. Tsukiumi might not say anything, but it wouldn't be for the same reason as him. She just wouldn't want the twins to have anything over on her.

He decided to answer them. "Well...I don't really remember it, but Minaka somehow awakened my old Sekirei blood. And my mom said that I already had strong Sekirei genes. So I guess you could say that I'm more of a Sekirei than an Ashikabi."

Seo let his shock radiate out for a moment. "But how can he do that?! The amount of Sekirei genes in most Ashikabi go back to before the Roman Empire. And most go even further. How is it that he activated genes that were that old?!"

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know. I can use Sekirei powers now. That's really the only difference I feel." He flexed his hand, "And I'm a lot stronger than I used to be..."

Beside him Tsukiumi commented, "Thou have changed more than that. Thy can use more than one power as Takami said."

Miya watched the interchange curiously. It was amusing to see the twins squirming like that. They really were hopeless. Miya thought, _"Naruto has no idea how great an influence he exerts without noticing. If he get too many more Sekirei, his presence will be felt by any Sekirei or strong Ashikabi in the area. They will know where he is just by the power that emanates from him. I can already feel it."_

Uzume asked, "Naruto-kun? What powers have you used?"

"Well I can use wind, but I have almost no control over it. I can control gold, but it's pretty tiring."

Seo perked up at that, "What exactly do you mean by that? Can you turn something into gold?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow thinking, " _Well,...hell! I hadn't thought about that. Could I turn something into gold? I bet it wouldn't feel that different. Let's give it a try..."_ He closed his eyes and concentrated. He knew gold was much denser than most stuff, even other metal. Naruto focused on his soup spoon. It was an uncomplicated piece of silver.

Everyone had stopped to watch him. He had closed his eyes for a few minutes when those Sekirei sitting around him felt the touch of his power. It was barely there, a tiny bubble near his right hand. Tsukiumi and Musubi could almost hear what he was thinking. _"Turn...now."_

The spoon vibrated on the table causing a hum to fill the room. Then it stopped and bent, twisting violently. After a few seconds it seemed to compress, turning black then white and moving through several metallic colors. Finally it turned golden. It was smaller than it had been. Naruto cracked one eye to look at it and frowned. He closed his eye again and reached out to grab the spoon.

He brought it an inch from his face and willed it back into shape.

It looked like he was using telekinesis to bend a spoon in reverse. It moved, twisting back to something near its original shape. He opened both eyes and let out a long breath. He said tiredly, "That was actually a lot easier than trying to pull it out of the ground." He yawned and put it down on the table.

Tsukiumi was impressed that he had done it so quickly, but she was also very confused. She asked, "How did you know how to do it?"

Naruto grinned tiredly and explained, "Science ya know. Gold is denser than most metals. It's really heavy. When I reached for the power to move gold, I was able to tell that it was a silver spoon. I'm not sure, I just knew. I...think, that I compressed it, but I've got no clue if that's what really happened. Maybe it did magically turn to gold..."

Seo reached across the table and picked the spoon up. He examined it. Sure enough it was gold. As far as he could tell, it was pure. He doubted that Naruto's power could form alloys. If he was only able to move pure gold then he would only be able to turn elements into the purest form possible. He asked, "How long have you been practicing to do this sort of thing?"

Naruto turned to Akitsu. "Well, about three hours tops. Most of that time I spent dragging tiny specks of gold from the ground. It was a real pain. After that, this was a piece of cake." Naruto stopped speaking at the looks on the twin's faces. They were both staring at the table in front of them with admirable determination. He guessed that they were both reacting to him again. It was kind of a stupid question, but he had to ask it. "Um, Hikari, Hibiki? Is there something wrong?"

Uzume, Seo, and everyone else noticed Hibiki shiver slightly. Hikari took several moments to focus herself and speak. She turned to Miya, "Miya-sama... please just this once could we...?" Whatever she was asking it was etched into her beautiful face. She looked desperate as she dropped her head down.

Miya said slowly, "Well Hikari-chan, even _if_ I agreed this _once_ , it would not be allowed right now. And that does not mean, under any circumstances that you may do anything later. I understand how you feel but you will put up with it for now." Miya turn to reguard Naruto steadily, "You must know Naruto-san that they are under the influence of your Ashikabi powers at the moment. As an Ashikabi it is your responsibility to care for those who react to you. It may seem unimportant here, but a Sekirei who is reacting loses a large degree of control over her powers."

Naruto understood. A Sekirei who was reacting to him couldn't defend herself. He decided to bring up the topic of Sekirei in general. "Thanks for the advice Miya, but there were actually a few things I've been thinking about."

She gave him a curious look. He smiled and continued, "First of all...tell me if I'm wrong, but you're a Sekirei right?"

The room, which had already been silent, went...dead. Naruto could have heard a pin drop on the other side of the mansion. The shock that filled the room seemed to radiate from the back of his mind. Naruto realized belatedly that he was again sensing Tsukiumi's emotions somehow.

Miya let out a long breath before saying. "I am not a Sekirei, but I am included among the counting. You are half right, but I do not wish to discuss it. Do you have other questions Naruto?"

Naruto felt that he had confirmed the weird feeling he'd had about her. It had only been a minor thing until he recalled her helping him with training. How could she have known how to draw on Sekirei powers without being one? And not to mention the fact that she lived in a Mansion, practically alone in comparison to the size of the place. Before he got there they had what? Three people for two hundred plus rooms.

But that was beside the point now. He had a second question. He turned to Kagari and asked, "Can men be Sekirei?"

The silver haired young man appeared to flinch and look away. Miya answered the question for him. "Yes there are a few male Sekirei, but out of more than a hundred, there are less than ten... but why do you ask Kagari-san?"

Naruto shrugged and tried to explain it. "It's just that I got a weird feeling when I first met him... as a matter of fact I got the same feeling meeting you Miya. And the twins here. I felt the same when I first saw Akitsu-chan too. In fact the only person in this room who doesn't feel like that is Seo here. And since he's not an Ashikabi I figured that everyone who gave me this feeling was either a Sekirei or an Ashikabi."

Kagari was blinking away his shock. Mostly from the overly simple explanation. The idea that Naruto ran so well off his general feelings... was cool, in an unreliable sort of way. Maybe he just had excellent intuition. Maybe he had some sort of sixth sense. All that it really added up to was that his identity was officially shot. Thing was... he really didn't want to explain who he was. At that moment he was wishing for an urgent call or _something_ to get out of this situation.

The looks on everyone's faces, well, not Miya's or Uzume's. But the expression that Naruto's Sekirei and the twins had...it was...

Tsukiumi felt her mind slowly processing the information that he was a Sekirei. Kagari was a Sekirei? He had silver hair, was constantly away on strange business and had a slender build. Even his regular _cool_ attitude just screamed "HOMURA!" She was darting at him one hand forming a ball of water into a tight ball while the other reached for Homura's throat.

Then Naruto had her. He shouted, "Tsukiumi-chan Stop!" He pulled her back to sit next to him. She struggled to reach Homura for another minute before giving up. Miya, who had made no move to stop her, pointed her chopsticks at her.

"No violence with in Izumo Inn. Understood #9 Tsukiumi."

Tsukiumi turned her head in reproof. Naruto kept a hand on her shoulder as he asked, "Uh.. is Kagari like a false name or something?" Homura nodded but kept silent.

Naruto felt reasonably sure that Homura was a Sekirei. And judging by the lengths he'd gone to keeping his identity secret. He even changed his name. It wasn't too hard to figure that his job as a host was a cover too. What for?, he couldn't know. But he didn't want to make things even more uncomfortable by saying something uncalled for. He certainly didn't want to further incite Tsukiumi. She might be "under his sway" but she could still get pissed at him. He thought, _'And forget about asking Tsukiumi-chan about Kaga...Homura. Damn it, I can't even change his name in my mind.'_

He decided a tactical subject change was in order. He asked Seo, "So um, how do you know Miya?"

The two of them seemed to freeze for a brief moment, Seo noticeably longer than Miya. "I was friends with Takehito, Miya's husband. I'm do... eh... construction, but I refuse to work for MBI. Therefore there aren't a lot of jobs out there for me. When times get tough I can count on her generosity."

Seo glanced to either side of him and commented, "But with two extra people to feed, I've been... uh... a bit too thankful for her cooking..."

Naruto looked to the twins who were giving Seo matching sour looks. Then he saw Miya was nodding enthusiastically. She smiled. "I just had an epiphany. If Hikari and Hibiki were to leave your care then it would remove a considerable burden from you...right?"

Seo nodded, agreeing. "Yeah, it sure would, but what are you implying?" He sounded suspicious. Point in fact he was suspicious. Sometimes Miya could be a real devil and that kind, but obviously fake smile was proof. He wondered what she could be thinking.

After a moment Miya explained, "I believe it is time that the twins joined out group here. They can help with the many chores and I'm... _sure_... that they wouldn't mind."

The air above Miya shimmered and Seo went stiff. "Ok...! ok! I get it. Take them...It'll be easier to make it without them anyway."

The twins looked at each other, then to Miya, who smiled back. A real smile this time. Hikari was the first to smile, followed by her sister. They would be staying at Izumo Inn. With... Naruto.

Naruto looked across the table to the twins. They both were smirking. He had a feeling in the back of his mind. Like jealously. It was a split second before he realized it wasn't his emotion. _"Wow...what's wrong with them smirking to make Tsukiumi-chan so jealous. It's like she thinks... oh wait. They're probably going to try and kiss me or something tonight. I guess It's obvious."_

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Yukari slumped against the wall on the inside of her shower back at her apartment. Shiina was in the other room. They hadn't found a trace of his sister Kusano. They'd asked everyone they met, some politely, others not... She was personally getting tired of their new nickname. It was unbelievable. She had only been helping Shiina for a little while and he wasn't even _her_ Sekirei! Why were people calling them the demon duo. It was like they had been branded... all just because she had a habit of kicking disrespectful guys in the nuts. What was so demonic about that?! It was a normal reaction.

She heard Shiina in the other room moving around. She didn't know what he was up to. Probably cleaning her room for her. He was like that. She smiled. It was very nice to have met him. If it wasn't for the fact that he was a boy, she'd probably be best friends with him. It was just so... strange to have him there... like that. And the cute way he would get flustered when she was close to him...

Yukari caught herself dreaming up ways to torment her captive "cute" boy. She stopped herself. After all, it wasn't very becoming of her to do such...inappropriate things. She should _really_ be less...

An image of Shiina from earlier that day when she'd playfully licked a bit of ice-cream of his cheek invaded her mind. He'd gone so red, he looked like a tomato. And he'd been unable to look at her for half an hour. She giggled and reached for the shampoo. She should _really_ be nicer... not.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Seo left Izumo Inn. Then he walked home to his apartment. He did both of these things _alone._ It seemed that his guardian license had been officially revoked. Hibiki and Hikari were both staying at the mansion. And that wasn't the worst part

The worst part was seeing just how happy they were with the decision. Admittedly it would be easier to get by without them, but... he was still "involved" with the Sekirei plan, one way or the other. Being without the company of the twins meant that he was defenseless. If a Sekirei apprehended him who was less... affected by the idea of _rules_ he would be in trouble.

Opening the door to his apartment he felt a light tug on his shirt. He sighed and turned around, thinking it was some homeless kid. But...it ...WAS NOT a homeless kid.

Dark silver hair. Black clothes. Two grey eyes. Seo gulped and took a hurried step back. "Whoa what do you want?"

The young woman in front of him let out a sigh of her own. "Pity, You're a powerful human, despite having zero Sekirei in your service. But you aren't the one." She turned and strode away.

Seo watched her go, scared and extremely nervous. He didn't like the idea that the Discipline Squad was doing house calls now. And that particular Sekirei... She was insane. He thanked his lucky stars that he wasn't "the one" she spoke of. He didn't want to be within a hundred feet of her at any given time. She was dangerous. She was like Miya on a bad day, not to mention she had a vicious streak a mile wide.

Seo knew who he felt pity for. He felt pity for anyone who _that_ girl paid any attention to. You didn't want to be involved with the Black Sekirei.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Naruto sat back in the bath. He'd finally been able to take one. He didn't particularly like taking two or three baths a day, but the girls complained if he was sweaty… well sometimes. These days it seemed like they were all bipolar. One moment they were complaining about how he smelled and the next Akitu or Tsukiumi was trying to sexually assault him. –sigh-

Then again, he didn't particularly like being dirty either. Thus a bath had been called for.

He sighed again, loudly. It had been an interesting meal, for sure. He'd only had to restrain Tsukiumi twice more after she initially learned of Kagari's true identity. Being inhumanly strong had its benefits. Naruto smirked, thinking to himself, _"_ _So the twins are staying here from now on. That's interesting. I never thought in a million years that they'd be living in the same house as me. Though I can hardly call this place a house. It's only one or two steps short of a castle.'_

The sound of the room's door caught Naruto's ears and he turned his head. It was...Miya? The landlady walked over to stand by the side of the bath. She was still dressed so he assumed that she wanted to talk to him about something.

Miya spoke. There was a note of concern in her voice that Naruto hadn't heard before. "Naruto, there are a few things I must tell you sooner or later and I decided sooner is better. But before I tell you, I need to know a few things about you."

Naruto shrugged, "Sure Miya, No problem."

She smiled thinly, as though it wasn't going to be that easy to answer her questions. "I need to know how you feel about the Sekirei plan. I want to know what your own plan is for the future."

That caused him to pause. She wanted to know how he felt about the Sekirei plan? That was like asking a dog about how he felt about a dog show. A dog wouldn't know enough about it to tell you. Other than you were rewarded if you did good and you weren't if you did bad. Naruto scratched his head thinking. "From what Musubi and the others have told me, The Sekirei plan is basically a massive gladiator match between Sekirei who choose their Ashikabi partners. She also said that there would be some kind of prize to the winning team. I've seen that you could easily die in this game if something went wrong... I'm not sure I know enough about it really."

"Then let me clarify it for you. The Sekirei plan has three main stages. The first is where all the Sekirei are released out into the city and they find their Ashikabi partners. Then stage two is where by trial and battle all the weak ones are eliminated. Stage three is a tournament between the best of the best. The final champion is allowed to keep his or her Sekirei. Everyone else, regardless of how much they had tried to escape, win, or just stay alive, are separated. In most cases the losers will die."

Naruto paled. " _So everyone will be forced to leave their Sekirei or Ashikabi, even if they really love each other... That's...fucked up..."_

"So if I lost then... Musubi, Akitsu, and Tsukiumi would all...?"

Miya nodded grimly. "Do you understand what I'm asking?"

Naruto gritted his teeth. He asked, "You're asking me if I'm planning on going against MBI and the Sekirei plan. Yeah...I think I will. There's no chance that I'm leaving Musubi or Tsukiumi or Akitsu. Even if I didn't love them, they feel that way for me. I won't let anyone try to take them."

A crashing sound from the next room caused them to jump a bit. Naruto's voice lowered. "I want to make them feel happy. I never had that many friends before. They're important to me."

At that Miya sighed. "I'm glad Naruto. You're a very kind person. They're attracted to you because of that. It's not just your power as an Ashikabi. Now for what I came here to tell you. I have said that I no longer wish to be involved with the Sekirei plan. MBI knows that I am displeased with what they are doing here. And so do many powerful Ashikabi, such as the "Ashikabi of the East" who works with MBI on occasion. The North is seen as a neutral zone where no one holds sway. Other strong Ashikabi and Sekirei know that if they cause too much trouble I will take notice so the North is far more secure than other parts of the city."

Miya stepped away from the bath, not looking at him. She said, "I think it is time that there was a powerful Ashikabi that actively stood against MBI... You _are_ the strongest Ashikabi in the North..."

"And you think that if someone strong stood up to MBI then other Ashikabi who felt the same way would join up?" It sounded like a revolution to him. But if MBI was really bringing all these people together, only to tear them apart later... a revolution was called for... big time.

"Officially I have no opinion on the matter, but if you have something you _really need_ to do, I won't see it."

He watched as Miya opened the door to leave. She turned back once and said, "On a separate matter, I decided to put the twins in your room. Hope you don't mind."

Then she was gone.

Naruto closed his eyes. _"_ _What a day..."_

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Natsuo Ichinomi stood...leaned... against one wall as the door to his study opened. Haihane and Benitsubasa were already there. Had been for hours. They had been waiting for Karasuba to return. The reason? Natsuo had decided to wing Karasuba. She was stronger than either of his other Sekirei, and that was unbonded. If he winged her then her power would skyrocket. He looked up as the door opened and the Black Sekirei strode in.

Karasuba was tall with a predatory beauty. She was a silver haired tigress and... a very deceptive one. Sometimes she looked angry, when she wasn't. And sometimes she smiled when she was about to kill. Actually she almost always smiled when she was killing someone. It was part of made Karasuba…. well, Karasuba. Her black discipline uniform wasn't even armored, because she enjoyed the thrill of battle to the extent where she welcomed injury. Not that she ever sustained any damage...

As she entered Benitsubasa commented, "Look what the wind blew in. You know we've been waiting for you...for ... _hours."_ Karasuba made no reply. She only cast an easy smile towards the aptly named "Red Sekirei". Benitsubasa cringed away from that smile. Karasuba wasn't in a good mood apparently.

She walked up till she stood nose to nose with Natsuo. "What is it you require?" Her voice was sweet, but dripped insincerity and killing intent. Before he could answer she snapped, "I was busy! If you wanted something, you should have asked one of them." She gestured offhandedly to Haihane and Benitsubasa.

"Actually It concerns you in particular. I've decided it's time that you were winged...!

Natsuo felt himself being dragged forward till his forehead connected with hers...hard. She smiled widely, showing canines which she had filed to sharp points. Her strength was causing his neck to pulse with pain as she condensed the material of his suit to diamonds.

Karasuba chuckled evilly. "Ok...you want to be my Ashikabi? Be my guest." She pushed him roughly away and drew her sword. The razor edge of the blade glowed in the light from the ceiling. She offered, "I will be your Sekirei, but first a little test to prove you're worthy." She brought the point of her sword and rested it on his abdomen. She purred, "If you can stand the pain and push forward to kiss me on the lips... I'll be your Sekirei. If you can't... I get to kill you."

She didn't expect him to take her deal. And as she'd thought, he didn't.

"I think I'll pass. You may leave." He sounded a bit strained under the weight of her killing intent, but his demeanor didn't change. Karasuba bowed mockingly and turned about. Haihane and Benitsubasa watched her go. When the door slammed behind her Natsuo let out a long breath.

He'd insulted her. He hadn't meant to. He'd merely been straightforward. Karasuba wasn't a romantically inclined person, even if she had a sexy...sultry side. He had yet to even glimpse it himself. She seemed to all outward appearances, a stone cold killer. And it seemed that she didn't approve of any Ashikabi who didn't live up to her impossibly high standards.

He thought out loud, "She will be the last unwinged Sekirei. Mark my words." Haihane giggled and Benitsubasa slumped in her seat. At least she hadn't killed them...right?

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Naruto dried off and pulled clothes on. He yawned as he did so. It had been a long day and he was rather tired. Once he was dressed he threw his towel and dirty clothes into the white laundry basket by the door. Then he headed out. He turned left to go down the hall to his room.

Looking up at a noise he saw the twins and was about to speak when they charged him. Naruto stopped and opened his mouth to ask what they were up to. Hikari lunged and her hand clamped his mouth shut. Then Hibiki arrived and they were both dragging him backward. He attepted to protest, but together they were able to skillfully keep him pinned.

He didn't know where they were taking him, but as they turned into the main stairwell he got an idea. Naruto smirked and let himself go completely limp. Both girls halted and examined him. He inwardly chuckled by feigned unconsciousness. Hikari whispered, "Ok...let's just get him upstairs quick now. come on..."

Naruto waited till they were taking him up the stairwell to break loose of their grip. Unfortunately he wasn't as nimble as he thought. Instead of doing a expert flip over Hibiki's head, he tripped and his body crashed into hers. They tumbled down and hit the wall. Naruto took the brunt of the impact, with the slightly dazed Hibiki having knocked her head on a step coming down. Neither of them attempted to move as Hikari quickly descended to check on them.

Hibiki had frozen. She'd landed on Naruto while he had slammed into the wall back first. He smelled wonderful and she couldn't stop herself from inhaling his fresh scent. She felt his lean muscle under his shirt. He was still damp from his bath and the lavender and vanilla from the bath-soap mixed with his own slightly musky scent. Her instincts were shouting for her to just _"_ _do it already!"_ She felt Naruto shift under her and she looked up into his face.

His breathing had sped up and her hands felt the beat of his heart. Naruto's whisker marks seemed to darken as he inclined his head. She scooted farther up, quickly slipping her arms around his neck. "Naruto-kun... please..."

Naruto heard her. It was so tempting to lean down and kiss her. She wanted it...he wanted to do it, and she was even there. Her eyes were burning into his own. She shifted further up and their noses touched. They pulled apart for a second before Naruto gave in. He pushed forward and kissed Hibiki. His hands pulled her into the kiss as Hikari dropped down next to them. Naruto paid no attention to the second girl as he pushed his hands under Hibiki's blue shirt. Her skin was smooth and hot to the touch. He moved his hands upward, the buttons coming undone as he did so. The two of them stayed connected as the air crackled behind Hibiki.

Purple forks of lightning crackled into existence behind her as their tongues dueled. Naruto could feel the static electricity fill the air. Hibiki let out a little start as she pulled away from Naruto. The energy in the air zapping and popping. She withdrew her arms and clutched at her heart. Naruto reached out for her and pinched the collar of her shirt between his fingers. He pulled her back into him. The first kiss had been too short, he wanted more.

Hibiki let him kiss her again, sparks infusing the air. She gasped into the kiss as a jolt of electricity shot through her. The slight pain was lost in the pleasure that Naruto was causing. Her chest almost hurt from it.

Hikari watched Naruto pull her sister against him, demanding and very...aggressive. Her cheeks turned an even darker shade of crimson as Naruto's hands practically moved on their own, unbuttoning the last button on Hibiki's shirt. Her sister hadn't put on a bra and her medium small breasts shone in the light from her wings. Hikari felt a current of electricity run through her.

It shocked her enough that she moved back a bit. They were supposed to be immune to lightning.

Naruto let go of Hibiki again and breathed out hard. Energy had seeped into him. He felt like an overcharged battery and it was exhilarating. Turning he saw Hikari kneeling off to the side. She was red, just like Hibiki. He growled, "Hikari...chan... come here..." His voice was low, more like a large cat than a man.

Hikari came, quickly. Once she was in reach he dragged her in close. Their lips met with a shower of sparks. Hikari's wings burst out as her sister's faded into nothing. Naruto pushed his tongue into her mouth, tasting her. She was still minty from the breath mints Akitsu had given them. She pushed back, her fingers scratching at his chest. Her moves were more sure than her sister's now. Hibiki observed as her sister was winged. Then she felt a hand smooth over her shoulder. Naruto withdrew from Hikari, a thin ribbon of saliva still connecting them.

Hikari panted as Naruto turned and kissed Hibiki again. Hibiki tasted mint. She realized she was tasting her sister and her eyes widened. When Naruto parted from her she raised a hand to her lips. The image of Naruto switching between them like that wouldn't leave her mind. It distracted her as Hikari leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, right over his whisker marks.

Naruto shivered at the touch. Hikari realized that the marked were sensitive. Her eyes locked on his as she licked his cheek. He shuddered and his cheeks burned red.

All three of them stopped what they were doing as a creak echoed down the stairs. Naruto peeked up the steps. There, stepping into view was a demon. A purple haired demon. Her eyes reflecting a hellish light as she brandished a wooden mallet. Miya looked like a malevolent specter. Her clothes could have been the burial robes of an ancient Lich. And in her pale ghostly hands, the mallet minds as well been a war hammer.

The twins turned back to look as well. both girls went rigid. Fear contorting their faces. The blush on Hikari's cheeks left her as she paled.

An image flashed through Naruto's mind...He shook his head trying to clear it.

 _Dark hair... pale skin..._

The image was gone as Miya descended to their level. She said pointedly, "I'm beginning to think that you are breaking the rules of this place on purpose. It would be a shame, don't you think? Hm... Na..ru..to…san?"

He nodded quickly. "Um...it's not what it looks like..."

A nervous smile crossed his face as Miya commented, "That's interesting. It looks like the twins are trying to undress you in the stairwell... Am I wrong?"

Naruto nodded... then stopped. He shook his head. Finally he shrugged. "It's... complicated."

Miya raised an eyebrow as she leaned in close to him. She said slowly, "Indeed. Well, How about we do our best to make it simpler." She turned to Hikari, "Get off him." Then she looked to Hibiki, "You too...and button up while you're at it."

The twins hurriedly stood up and stepped back. Hibiki followed Miya's directions, buttoning her shirt. The two girls exchanged looks behind Miya's back as the landlady stepped closer to Naruto. Miya explained, "While you are staying at Izumo Inn you _will_ follow my rules. Is that understood? If you don't..." She raised the mallet menacingly, "I will instruct you... thoroughly." She turned to regard the twins again. "Both of you are banned from breakfast. Now go to bed." Turning to go back up the stairs Miya said, "That includes you Naruto... on both counts."

The three of them quickly left a Miya ascended the stairs. When they were gone she stopped. Something was wrong. She didn't know what, but there had been a... flash of something. It worried her. Naruto was powerful now. But he was still very much human. She would keep a close eye on him.

 **ooo**

Naruto laid down and closed his eyes. He heard the sounds of breathing around him. It lulled him to sleep.

 _-Naruto stood. He was alone and he felt...lonely. An overwhelming feeling of solitude filled him as he looked around._

 _A forest. Huge trees towered over head. It was sunset. To the west he could see the horizon painted crimson and gold. The sound of wind through branches, the stirring of leaves was all he could hear. Then there was a creak._

 _He turned around. From a smaller tree behind him hung a board. It was a thin piece of pine. It was suspended by two thin ropes. Moving towards it he recognized it as a swing._ _He reached out and touched it. His fingers dragging over the old wood. The ridges seemed familiar to him. As though he'd sat here before._

 _The swing was in motion. As though someone had just got off it. A whisper of...something made Naruto look around again. A voice...like bells, no...laughter. Pure laughter. Sweet, but to him it felt as though someone was choking him. Choking him with hands of Iron._

 _He walked towards it. He needed to see who was laughing. It was haunting him and he didn't know why. His chest cramped up as he increased his speed. The trees blurred past him and he saw an opening in the forest. The forest ended and he saw a great expanse of dirt and stone. It dropped off over a sea of green. He ran towards it. Towards the clear ringing voice.-_

Naruto opened his eyes. There was light in the room. It shone through the doorway, casting everything in dim shadows. He felt... sad. Like someone had just died... or he'd lost something important. It was the worst thing he could remember feeling... ever… in his entire life.

Reaching up with his right hand he touched his face. He realized that he was crying silently. Naruto blinked several times and wiped away the tears.

There was movement to his side. Slowly he became aware that something was in bed with him. He lifted the blanket slightly and was able to make out a head. It rested on his chest. Dark hair was all he could see. Naruto wondered what time it could be. That dream had been so short and achingly sad.

He sat up slowly, not wanting to disturb his visitor. He glanced at the wall behind him. The little alarm clock on the table blinked at him. It showed 6:32 am. He laid back down. How could it have been hours since he went to sleep? Any feeling of rest or recuperation eluded him. He tried to recall what had made that dream so depressing, but the details of it were quickly slipping from his mind. It was like the dream was gone and all that was left was the raw emotion.

There was nothing for it. He had to get up. It was going to drive his insane if he tried to go back to sleep. Naruto lifted the blanket away. He immediately recognized Hibiki. She was half in and out of the covers. In the dim illumination he could just make out her but and legs, which poked out from the bed.

Attempting to remove her was more of a challenge than he anticipated. Both her hands were clutching at his shirt... tightly. Naruto moved to remove her hands. He noticed that they were small and slender, but the skin was split slightly on the tips of her fingers. When he tried to pry her fingers loose she mumbled in her sleep and cuddled closer to him. Her hand grasped his shirt on his right side.

He felt his cheeks redden despite her being asleep. Two minutes were required to recover lost ground. He now had her hands free of his shirt. He slipped to the side and let her down slowly. She slept though all of his not quite so gentle maneuvering. As he was about to leave he dragged the pillow down for her to rest her head on. He knew he was being a bit sentimental, but who was watching..

Hibiki smiled in her sleep as he stood and left the room.

His progress to the outside was unhindered by obstacles. When he was standing outside in the crisp night air he tried to remember his dream, but it was gone completely. Like a video you fell asleep at near the beginning. Only the tone of it was left. He glanced behind him. The moon was sinking in preparation for the dawn. Naruto frowned. Had there been light in his room? Yes, it had been shining though the doorway, but it was still dark out, so where did the light come from?

Naruto stalked back inside. Soon he saw the light. It was a candle...and it was moving. Moving away from him that is. It was heading into the stairwell. He couldn't tell who it was. He walked towards the candle holder as whoever it was ascended the stairs ahead of him. A moment later it was out of sight, but the glow from the light remained. Naruto quickly walked up the stairs and turned the corner...

The light disappeared just as he turned. It had vanished into thin air, like it had never been. Naruto experience a slight chill, but calmed himself. It was probably just Uzume playing tricks or Miya patrolling... or something like that. He felt an itch between his shoulder blades. The felling crawled up the back of his neck. Naruto slowly turned around.

He came face to face with a masked Homura. He was dressed all in black ad he had an intrigued look. One silver eyebrow was arched in question.

"Couldn't sleep and someone with a candle is wandering around."

Homura might have smiled but his dark mask his expression. Naruto suddenly felt an overwhelming feeling of familiarity that he hadn't had before. For a second and image overlaid over Homura's features. _"_ _Have I met him before moving to Izumo? I would swear he used to wear a funny metal eye patch or… something."_ Naruto shook his head as Homura coughed lightly.

"Ah...that would explain why you look so pale... Did you think it was a ghost or something?"

Naruto shook his head again and walked past Homura saying, "Nah, you're imagining things ya know." He patted Homura on the shoulder as he passed.

 **Ooo**

Homura watched him go. Naruto was acting a bit strange...even more than usual. He put thoughts of the strange young man aside and continued onwards his own room. As how walked he sensed something. He turned the corner and almost tripped over someone sitting against the wall. It was a girl holding some... it was a candle. She was using her hand to shield the area from light. Homura immediately recognized her

"Matsu! What are you doing here? Do you know what Miya-san would do if she found you stalking around at this hour?" Homura waited for a response that wasn't forthcoming. Then he bent down closer to Matsu. His eyes widened. She was a mess. Her skin was flushed red in the flickering light. She was covered in sweat and her breath was hard and gasping.

Putting a hand to her forehead he found her hot to the touch. And a tingling ran up his arm like a bolt of electricity. He yanked his hand back and shook it hard to dispel the feeling. It hadn't been pleasant. He pulled down his mask and bent in close. Matsu's hand was tugging on his arm.

When he was close enough she whimpered, "Naru-tan is something else... I only watched him sleeping... Why do I feel so weak...?"

Matsu's words alarmed him even more. She was obviously reacting to Naruto and very strongly indeed. Usually you had to have direct skin contact to cause a Sekirei to react so strongly. If Naruto was creating a reaction in Matsu... who was a low single number... And he already had Tsukiumi and Akitsu. Two other single numbers. That would mean that there were very few Sekirei that wouldn't react to him.

Another tug on his sleeve preceded Matsu grabbing him by the collar and pulling him in close. She gasped, "Homura-tan... please take me to... my... Ashikabi..."

Homura blinked and his jaw dropped before he forced himself away from her. Matsu couldn't be asking him to carry her to Naruto's room. That would be making a death-wish. If Miya caught him aiding Matsu in her perverted practices it would be the end for him as a respected member of Mansion Izumo. Not to mention he had no intention of taking Matsu anywhere other than her secret room.

However he nodded in order to facilitate her cooperation. "Alright, just give me a moment." She smiled as he glanced at her candle, which went out. Then he picked her up and walked back to her room. She didn't seem to notice where he was really taking her until the bright screens of her computers lit up her flushed skin.

She squirmed now extremely agitated. "Homura! Why'd you take me to my room...!? I wanted to go to Naru-tan!"

He silenced her with a quick chop to the neck. Then he arranged her unconscious body on her bed and covered her up. He thought that he might have to watch his back for a while, but at least he wouldn't lose face or get in trouble with the purple haired demon. Standing up he looked at the computer screens that covered the walls. Most... all of them actually, showed something at least related to Naruto. Homura realized that Matsu must have set up hidden cameras in Naruto's room because there was a live camera feed. Naruto was sitting up in bed.

He stepped in to get a closer look at that screen. Then he saw it. Naruto had Hibiki's head on his lap. He was running his fingers though her hair. Though he couldn't make out Naruto's expression, it seemed that he was smiling. Homura sighed and left the room. He closed the door carefully behind him.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Naruto sat at breakfast. He had convinced Miya, with some unplanned assistance from Homura, to allow the three of them to eat. Miya had relented with good grace. So now the twins sat with him, one to either side. They were extremely cheerful. Hikari was constantly trying to steal quick kisses when no one was watching. It was very distracting for him since... well, he didn't at all mind kissing her.

The table was nearly empty at the moment. Uzume wasn't there. Musubi, Akitsu, and Tsukiumi were all in the bath. Miya and Homura sat in their usual places.

Everyone looked up as the door to the hall snapped open with a bang. Then everyone was staring at a girl with dark ginger hair that was almost red. She was wearing a white... dress? of sorts. It had diamond shape cut outs going down the middle.

The girl walked around the table till she stood behind Naruto. He craned his neck to look back at her. She was beautiful and her eyes as she looked down on him were the same color as her hair. As she knelt behind him Hikari attempted to ask her who she was, but stopped. The girl's cheeks were a crimson darker than her hair. Naruto's eyes went wide as she pulled him back from the table.

He asked, "Hey! What are y...!" She kissed him. The table went silent as the words of the twins, Homura and Miya died in their throats. Naruto felt her push her tongue into his mouth and he felt himself becoming warm... then rapidly... hot. His mind felt fuzzy for a moment. Then clear golden orange wings spread behind her. Instant clarity flooded his thoughts. All of his senses seemed to suddenly sharpen and every touch heightened. The girls arms wrapped around his neck as he finally responded to her kiss.

The moment she felt him respond, she redoubled her efforts. The twins seemed frozen in place as the two of them kissed. Naruto let his eyes close and his hands moved on their own to rest on the back of her head.

When she drew away...minutes later, her breath was coming in ragged gasps and so was his. Once she caught her breath she muttered distractedly, "#2 Matsu... May the clarity of my thought guide my Ashikabi's steps."

He nodded slightly, still not quite recovered. Then beside Naruto Hikari asked indignant, "Who are you! and WHY are you kissing MY Ashikabi!?"

Matsu didn't answer immediately. Instead she reached into a pocket of her dress and pulled out a pair of glasses, which she then put on. Eyes now suitably framed she said, "I was simply confirming my body's natural reaction to a strong Ashikabi. You didn't do anything different last night. Besides, at least I wasn't _Trying_ to jump him...was I?"

Matsu looked to Naruto then. "Naru-tan, you're my Ashikabi from now on...I hope we can...do some experiments together sometime." Her hands rubbed together in the trade mark way of super villains everywhere as a small smirk turned the corner of her lips.

He blinked in confusion. What did she mean by that?

From the other side of the table Miya's voice came out rather more clipped than usual., "Naruto-san, Allow me to _properly_ introduce #2 Matsu. She is a resident here at Izumo Inn and has been for a long time. However MBI has been chasing her. As I've told you my husband never refused anyone. He even designed a secret room for her use."

Naurto's eyed widened ever so slightly. "Um, Matsu...where you watching me last night, cause I would swear there was someone wandering around with a candle."

Matsu nodded once. "Originally I was intending on sneaking into bed with you and waking you up in the morning. But when I went to your room... she was snuggling with you and I could risk waking you up." Matsu pointed at Hibiki with an accusatory finger saying, "You're just an obstacle between me and my precious Naru-tan!"

Turning to Homura Matsu declared, "And you have it coming my fire bug friend. I asked you to take me to Naru-tan's room but you dragged me to my room and then knocked me out! You would do well to watch your back!"

The fire wielding Sekirei cringed away from her as if expecting some horrible apparition to attack. Naruto tapped her on the shoulder. "Hey Matsu... I have five Sekirei already. You'll be the sixth. And it gets kinda scary sometimes when there's a fight. So...could you not cause trouble, please?" He smiled at her trying to sound earnest.

Matsu paused for a few seconds and then shrugged. Then she pushed in between Hikari and Naruto. "Ok Naru-tan. I won't bother getting even...as long as I get to... _experiment_ with you..."

Naruto said hesitantly, "I don't really know what you're talking about, but...ok...?"

Matsu smiled widely, ignoring a piercing look from Miya. "Oh...it's nothing too special, but we should probably go somewhere else to do it properly." She snuck a bit of Naruto's breakfast. "Anyway... I wanted to run some tests on you Naru-tan. Could you come to my room later?"

"I guess, but since I don't know where your room is you'll have to show me."

Matsu looked confused for a second then inquired, "You can't tell where your Sekirei are at all times?"

Naruto shook his head. "No...should I?"

"It depends on the kind of bond you have with your Sekirei. You should be able to tell what we're feeling to a certain extent and you should always know where we are, even if I'm on the other side of the city, you should be able to trace me there or visa versa."

Naruto consicered this for a few moments before responding. "Sometimes I can sort of feel what Tsukiumi or Musubi and Akitsu are thinking. Like when Tsukiumi gets annoyed I can't...I don't really know how to describe it. It like I'm annoyed, but I know it isn't my emotion."

Matsu clapped, "That's actually a perfect description of how it's supposed to feel. How about to try it with me Naruto. I make my face go blank and then concentrate on a feeling. You tell me what it is."

Naruto surrendered to her and sighed. He minds as well go along with the impromptu experiment. He said, "Ok I'm ready." Matsu let her expression become completely neutral.

He tried to think about what she was thinking about, but nothing happened. Then he tried to clear his mind... Still nothing. Finally he moved his hand to touch hers. Naruto drew his hand back immediately. He'd just received a flash of something... His cheeks turned red and he experienced a churning feeling in his stomach, like butterflies... and anticipation. "I felt that Matsu... but I am _not_ saying what it was."

She looked up at him and let out a little sound. It was clearly resignation. He could feel it now. Her shifting thoughts and emotions, her _arousal._ Matsu twisted up and placed his hands on his cheeks. "Ok Naru-tan... you can feel what I feel. Now tell me what I'm thinking."

The others watched them closely. Even Miya leaned in close, now more interested in Naruto's rapidly developing abilities than scolding Matsu.

Naruto looked into her eyes for a moment. Her emotions were clear to him while she touched him, but he couldn't tell what she was thinking. He attempted to focus on her emotions as though they were something he could grab onto. An annoying sensation began to burn in the back of his mind. It was insistent like an itch that demanded to be scratched. He removed her glasses, causing her to blink a few times. Naruto pulled her hands down and kissed her on her slightly parted lips.

Surprised Matsu took a moment before she could respond.

Naruto felt himself becoming lost in the images that were flashing through his head _. Pale skin, large expressive eyes, long hair...heat and the sensation of a deep kiss._ No thoughts materialized in mind, but when he pulled back from Matsu she was a mess.

Her cheeks, which had gradually returned to their former state, had flamed deep crimson again and she shuddered. As she attempted to regain her composure Naruto said sheepishly, "Sorry... I... don't really know what happened just now... I don't think that I was reading your thoughts was I?"

She stuttered out, "N...no.. you... read my thoughts... fine."

Naruto allowed his focus to slip and he let go of her. Her feelings slipped out of his conscious perception in an instant. "Why does it only work if I'm touching you? When I let go just now I lost what you were feeling."

He and Matsu turned as Miya said, "It was a good try Matsu, but you can't read each other's thoughts moments after your winged. It doesn't work that quickly. You need a deep connection to your Ashikabi to achieve that. As for Naruto knowing where you are at all times... you should know better. Weeks of constant contact are required to sense the energy of others."

Miya stood. "Now, I am going to the bath to explain to Tsukiumi and the others what is going on. They likely felt what just happened."

Naruto nodded slowly. That was a good idea. Tsukiumi had already had a fit when she woke up to find Hikari and Hibiki had winged themselves on him. And Akitsu had looked rather pissed herself even though she accepted it fairly quick. Musubi...well, she hadn't really showed any negative emotions on her face. She had greeted them warmly as her fellow Sekirei, but Naruto would swear that she was jealous. That innocent look of hers sometimes hid an inner demon.

Bending down to his food again he resumed eating. It wasn't too long before there was shouting on the other side of the mansion. Naruto let out a little wounded sigh as he heard someone shout, "NARUTO!"

A few seconds later a half dress Tsukiumi appeared in the doorway. She was still soaked from the shower and what she was wearing clung to her. Naruto was unable to stop himself from admiring her beauty. Then she was shouting, "NO! No more Sekirei Naruto! Thy are Forbidden!"

Naruto wiped a small dribble of blood from his nose even as he cringed at the volume. He'd so wanted to have a peaceful morning. Tsukiumi marched around the table till she was standing right behind him. He turned to see her. She looked... angry... Actually livid would have been a better description.

"You will not take any more Sekirei Naruto. Thy should restrain yourself more!"

From the doorway Naruto heard Musubi say, "Tsukiumi... you shouldn't shout at Naruto-sama. It isn't up to you how many Sekirei he has."

Tsukiumi insisted, "As one of his wives I have a say! And I say that he will not take any more!"

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

 **Hi guys… Sheesh this is kinda tedious, but I still have to update my other stories too! Just letting readers know that I've posted the new Naruto/DxD fic I was talking about. Check it out for its less common pairings!**

 **Review fool ya fool!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Let's see, we're on chapter six huh… Hope you like what changes I've made so far. I always liked the little part here in the start. Mainly because Tsukiumi is so full of herself most of the time.**

 **(I don't own any part of Naruto or Sekirei)**

 ** _Chapter 6_**

Matsu stood up in one movement and looked into Tsukiumi's eyes. She removed her glasses slowly. "#2 Matsu... do you want to fight #9 Tsukiumi?"

Tsukiumi paled. " _Oh...#2... She's probably much more powerful than I am. Damn, why did thee have to choose Naruto?! I have little enough time with him as it is."_

To everyone's surprise Tsukiumi dipped her head in apology. "I have no problem with thee. I will get along. Besides fighting is against the rules here." Naruto blinked in surprise. He looked to Tsukiumi's face. She looked apprehensive. He wondered if Matsu was a known Sekirei. Maybe that would explain why Tsukiumi had relented so easily.

Homura let out a long breath as Musubi walked in, closely followed by Akitsu. Naruto looked to them. Akitsu made her way to Naruto. He stood as she stopped in front of him. "Yeah..I know I'm sorry ok... It wasn't my choice."

Akitsu nodded silently and slipped her arms around him. Naruto let her rest her head on his chest for a moment. Then Musubi was standing nose to nose with Matsu. The two of them looked at each other for a moment.

"You're #88 Musubi, correct?"

Musubi nodded. "Who are you... and why were you hiding?"

"Because MBI want to catch me...and I won't be letting them do that."

"Do you love Naruto-sama?"

"I do...I wouldn't have kissed him if I didn't."

At this, the serious expression on Musubi's face vanished, replaced by a happy smile. She tilted her head to the side and said, "Ok!" Naruto relaxed. It seemed that if no one else was taking this calmly, at least he could count on Musubi to be extraordinarily naive as always. He just hoped that they would still listen to what he said. It would get problematic if they were all fighting all the time.

A thought crossed his mind as Matsu and Musubi sat down, _"_ _And what exactly does Tsukiumi-chan think I do all day? Run around trying to kiss people. No if she remembers it's almost always the girl who's trying to kiss me! What's she think she's doing, declaring that I shall wing no more Sekirei? I was under the impression that I didn't have a choice if a Sekirei reacted to me..."_

Naruto felt a tug on his shirt and realized that he had been blanked out for too long. Everyone else had sat down already. Akitsu was pulling on the edge of his shirt. He sighed and sat down to finish eating.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Karasuba walked quickly down the hall. She was...displeased. An uneasy feeling had been raising the hairs on the back of her neck all morning. She did NOT like this feeling. It was a weak emotion. A pathetic emotion.

Which was why she was searching through MBI tower for the source of this feeling. She could feel the presence of... something. She didn't know what it could be. If she didn't know better she would have thought it was a powerful Sekirei, but no... She was the most powerful Sekirei in MBI tower. The Discipline Squad would have a different leader if she hadn't been the strongest.

Then again. If she considered that from a different point of view...the Discipline Squad did have a different leader... and that just pissed her off to think about.

Turning the corner she saw a large set of double doors. Karasuba stopped in surprise... _"_ _What is he doing here?"_ Standing to one side of the doorway was a man. A young man. His hair color seemed to be stuck between brown, blond, and sliver. He had a long katana in his right hand...and he seemed to be dozing. _"_ _Pathetic lazy Sekirei."_

Karasuba narrowed his eyes...then stopped herself. Perhaps she should just take this at face value. He wasn't here to challenge her for her spot in the Discipline Squad. She smiled. For a moment her pride had gotten the better of her. No...it was foolish to think he was here for any other reason than that his Ashikabi was also here.

That gave her enough pause to consider something... Who was the more pathetic Ashikabi, Natsuo or Mikogami? She sneered. It didn't matter. She would never let either of them touch her...without proof that they were worthy of it. And Natsuo had already given her all the proof she needed that he was unfit to be her Ashikabi. She wanted an Ashikabi who cared for her. She wanted an Ashikabi who was powerful. Ideally her master would be both of these, but if she had to settle for one, it would be the latter. And as of yet. She hadn't found anyone who fit either criteria.

Karasuba cleared her thoughts and focused back on that prickly feeling that emanated from the other side of the door.

Mutsu, who had actually been dozing... after all he'd been there for three hours, looked up as he heard a ringing sound. His eyes darted to his right. He felt a sharp pang of fear followed by relief as she passed by. Then he realized that she shouldn't have been there at all. Looking down at the ground he saw the substantial security pad which kept the door closed... It was still intact but it was lying on the floor. Evidently Karasuba had cut it out of the door. Turning to enter the room, Mutsu just hoped she didn't try to kill Mikogami.

 **Ooo**

Once inside the room Karasuba came to a sudden halt. A young boy... she couldn't judge exactly how old he was, was standing with a tall silver haired man.

Both of them turned to see her as she stopped. The silver haired man spoke cheerily, "Ah! #4 Karasuba. Oh...dear. Why did you barge in at a time like this? I am working on delicate experiments. Do leave now."

Karasuba ignored Minaka. He was an overblown idiot and a crazy one at that. She wouldn't have minded cutting him into bite sized pieces, but he wasn't the issue. The issue was the young boy. He was, without a doubt, Mikogami. She recognized his description. Not to mention with Mutsu outside, there was no one else he could be.

Her eyes narrowed. The boy radiated power. No... not that... She felt her cheeks beginning to warm. Turning around she stormed out of the room.

 **Ooo**

Mutsu watched her blaze past. He must have been imagining things. It looked like her normally pale cheeks were pink. But that wasn't possible. Mutsu looked to his Ashikabi. Mikogami was grinning and chatting with Minaka. Mutsu did his best not to gag. Minaka absolutely radiated a perverse kind of energy. It made him feel ill, but then again, Mikogami had his undesirable traits as well. Mutsu supposed that he wasn't one to judge. After all he was the one who let himself get winged in the first place.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Eight floors down from the room where she had seen Minaka...and that boy, Karasuba stood in her bathing room. It was very large. Far more than she needed. She was looking at herself, naked, in a floor to ceiling mirror.

Her eyes looked back at her. Examining every part of herself. She was beautiful...but...one thing marred her perfect body. A light blush high on her cheeks. It refused to dissipate. No matter what she did, all that happened was a slight deepening of the color.

Karasuba closed her eyes and let her forehead rest on the glass. She couldn't deny it...She had reacted to that little shit. That insignificant stain on face of the earth. She had actually... blushed. Only a very slight reaction she knew... but it was... _unacceptable._ She refused to associated with people like that. And she would damn well cut her own throat before she became a servant of one.

She heard the snap closing of a door and she slowly turned her head to the side, keeping it on the cool glass. Natsuo stood there looking suitably shocked. He regained his composure quickly though.

"I have a job for you. Haihane is out and Benitsubasa is still...unsuitable. Are you...available?"

She knew that he normally wouldn't have phrased is as a request. But he probably was still on edge after her challenge to him. And... considering how she might appear at the moment. He was erring on the side of caution.

Karasuba's smile was predatory as she asked, "Do I get to kill someone?" He shook his head in the negative. Her excitement diminished slightly. That was a disappointment, but she supposed it was too much to ask for something interesting to distract her from her unease. At least it would be something to do outside of the tower.

"Which quarter is it in?" She wanted to stay away from the Southern area. That was the territory of Mikogami.

Natsuo coughed lightly, "Well, that's part of the problem. This isn't an official mission. It's for my personal gain. Your target is a young man from the Northern area. He has just recently been registered as an Ashikabi, but he has Sekirei in great excess of the norm."

Karasuba lifted her head from the glass. Her smile returned and she felt...keen interest building again. She turned to regard Natsuo fully. He seemed to be uncomfortable as she asked, "Exactly how many is..."great excess"?"

"As of this morning we received the bio info of three Sekirei changing to the same frequency."

Her jaw dropped on its own. A thought registering in the back of her mind. She asked, "Is that possible? I've never heard of anyone winging three Sekirei in a single week...much less a day."

Natsuo raised a list to show her. Stepping over to him she took the pamphlet. It was a chart of all Sekirei that had confirmed wingings. Of the five Sekirei on the list for the last day...three were all on one bio. She flipped backwards looking for the same number combination. Her eyes widened as she found three more on the same Ashikabi number.

Karasuba looked up at Natsuo. "It says that #7 was winged...I thought that Minaka corrupted her genes. She can't be winged."

"That's what I told Takami when I saw it. I asked her what was going on. She confirmed it."

Karasuba's eyes narrowed even as her smile became a full blown grin. "What is this Ashikabi's name?"

Natsuo sighed. "You know I don't deal in names. I deal in information... and when the Plan requires it... discipline. This list doesn't even show the names of Sekirei, much less Ashikabi. The reason I am asking you to do this for me is simple. I have a job and I need to know about all the major players. If this boy has six Sekirei... he _is_ a major player. And more to the point, this Ashikabi has somehow winged six Sekirei without upsetting #1."

Karasuba breathed, "Miya... Yes, I'll do this for you. But I want you to do something for me in exchange."

He nodded, bowing his head. "As you wish. What do you need that I can provide?"

She sneered at his behavior. "First of all, if you ever want to wing another Sekirei you should grow a back bone... Now as I was saying. I want you to get your hands on that invention Takehito worked on before he died."

Natsuo blinked and took a step back. "Why would you want...or need that?"

"I have recently discovered a desire for self protection." Karasuba gave him a cold stare, "Will you get it for me...or...not?"

"Of course. I can get it for you...but you won't be able to use it. We both know that much."

Karasuba sighed and placed one hand on his shoulder. She brought her face close to his. "You leave that to me and keep that pointy nose of yours... out of my business. Otherwise you may find yourself missing something... important."

Natsuo waited until she had removed her hand and turned away. Then he left. He hoped Karasuba didn't create a mess for him. If she did... he didn't know if he'd be able to clean it up.

 **Ooo**

Karasuba looked at her usual outfit...it didn't suit the mission. She was looking for an up and coming Ashikabi. Someone who could wing six Sekirei in almost no time at all. Her normal clothes were too... noticeable for what they were. She smirked. If this was a recognizance mission then she would wear something that would allow her to blend in...

She said to herself, "Time to visit Takami."

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Takami was pouring over several mathematical charts. They were making no sense to her...but then again she hadn't had her morning coffee and she hadn't smoked a single cigarette either. She sighed, "Not a good day so far...I hope Naruto is doing alright. She also hoped she would get the chance to talk to Yukari. One of the techs who monitored the satellite feeds had told her that she was in the company of Shiina who was one of the last Sekirei released.

He was also extremely powerful by the standards of most Sekirei of his age. Takami sighed and gave into the urge to call Miya. She wanted to check on Naruto. Her hand strayed to her pocket where her cell phone was.

Then the door to her office opened with a quiet swish. Takami turned her head to scold her assistant Akirochi. He'd been calling false alarms on Minaka's position all day. She'd told him to tell her whenever Minaka left the building. So far he hadn't.

But it wasn't Akirochi. It was Karasuba.

It was an effort to keep her expression neutral. Of all the four hundred people to worked in MBI tower's executive and science section...Karasuba was dead last on the list of people she would have expected to visit. Well... maybe Takehito's ghost would be less likely to come for a chat, but not by much.

Karasuba let the door slide closed before leaning against the wall. She was smirking. Takami looked the Sekirei up and down. She was... almost... naked. She had a thin shift... and unsurprisingly, her sword. And also unsurprisingly, her black combat boots.

Takami asked, "What do you want Suba?"

The younger woman smiled and rested her arms under her large breasts. "Well, I have a task that requires me to blend in." She looked down at her bust. Her pale skin and curves were easily seen through the nearly transparent fabric. She continued, "And I seem to be lacking a wardrobe suited to such a task. Haihane has the right size for me, but her clothes are also... obvious. Benitsubasa certainly isn't going to have anything that fits. Besides... we have differing _tastes_."

Takami let out a long mental sigh. She was here for that...ok...she could help and it wouldn't even leave a bad taste in her mouth this time.

"The problem isn't Basa-chan's taste in clothing. Or her size for that matter. I believe your problem is that you've never worn anything that didn't let you move freely enough to fight. And most civilian clothes are restricting."

Karasuba nodded. "I have come to realize I am missing a few...conveniences. It occurred to me yesterday that I lack many non-combat skills as well. So with that in mind, I want some clothes that will allow me to mix with the civilians."

Takami smiled, "Well, be prepared to move out of your comfort zone then. Follow me. I needed a break anyway."

They left her office a moment later. In the larger office outside Takami stopped to kick an unconscious young man. Karasuba watched as he jerked awake with a shout. She chuckled. It was funny the effect she had on people. Akirochi looked up in terror as Karasuba smiled at him. Had she been almost any other girl he would have been happy to see her. After all, how often does a beautiful young woman stop by wearing nothing more than a see-through shift?

Karasuba was not "any other girl". She had the highest number of fatalities attributed to her of any Sekirei. She was a killer...who smiled while she did it. And the sight of her almost naked was about as pleasing as someone playing a one-sided game of Russian roulette with you. On second thought, it was more like a mentally unstable person juggling active grenades.

Takami grew tired of his look of absent terror and gave him a good kick to his leg. "I'm going out for a bit. Keep an eye on things and take a look at those charts I left on my desk. I'll be back in a little while."

He nodded sheepishly and got to his feet. He hurriedly scurried into the other room.

Karasuba said sarcastically, "Such a courageous young man... Where ever did you find him?"

"He's good at math. I'm not so good so he has his uses, let's go."

She nodded and they left.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Karasuba stood in front of another mirror. She looked at herself in it. Never in her life had she ever worn anything so impractical, so restrictive, so...attractive. She admired herself away from Takami's prying eyes. They were in a clothing store not far from MBI tower. Takami stood outside the changing room with a few dresses and other sets of clothing.

What she wore now was a long medium blue shirt. It had a wide neck which showed off a good portion of pale skin and some of her ample cleavage. With that was a black shirt. She also wore a wide black belt with silver clasps. Her combat boots had been replaced by sleek shoes in dark blue.

Takami had suggested that she let her hair down and so it was. Her long silver hair hung free. It reached to her rear. Karasuba hadn't paid attention to how she looked for a long time. The feeling was refreshing. Though, regrettably the clothes didn't suit her personality. She preferred blacks and other very dark colors. Dark blue was alright, but black was better.

She stepped out of the changing room and Takami whistled. "Well, well. Who would have guessed you were actually hiding the potential to look beautiful. I was afraid we would have to put you in a black evening gown before we made you comfortable."

Karasuba shook her head slowly, "This is...flexible. It's not too bright. This belt is heavy enough to hold my sword properly... I'm content with this."

Takami nodded "Unfortunately this isn't going to help you blend in. Every man you walk by is going to be staring at you." She placed a hand on her chin then said, "The problem is that you're simply too attractive to go unnoticed."

The older woman smirked, "At least you have that problem though. I don't have to worry about that these days. Anyway, if you're happy with that we can purchase it. Though you might want to stop by MBI to stow your other gear. If you're walking around with all your equipment...you might as well wear your normal gear."

"Would you mind taking it back for me?"

Takami shrugged, "I suppose I could. Though I have to ask why you're so...energetic about this mission. It isn't as though you're... er... killing anything."

Karasuba blinked, slightly confused. Somewhat reluctantly she admitted, "I have been feeling...different of late. Besides that I'm trying to stay out of the tower for a while." She smiled faintly, "Besides, I'm still looking for a suitable Ashikabi. Perhaps I won't scare all the candidates away."

Takami watched Karasuba walk to the counter and purchase what she was wearing. Then she returned for her sword. She slipped it through the loop on her belt. It fit snuggly. She checked the ease of draw. "I appreciate you assistance. _Don't_ tell anyone about this."

Then she disappeared out the front of the store.

Takami stayed where she was for a moment, trying to puzzle out whether she had just been threatened or not. She thought, _"_ _With the way Karasuba is, I think it's safe to assume that was a threat. Regardless, I'm not telling anyone about this...speaking of which I left poor Akirochi with that assignment. Grrr. I wasn't thinking. I need to get back before he messes something up..."_

She gathered all of Karasuba's gear and went about her business. She needed to get some caffeine in her system before she went in to hibernation mode.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Naruto sat on the edge of a rooftop watching the people go by underneath him. It was strange. After breakfast had ended Musubi had requested that Miya train her. And following her, Tsukiumi insisted that she be trained as well. Then suddenly everyone was vying for her attention. Miya had taken it all in stride, but said that the one who needed the most training was him.

After a few explanations she told Hibiki and Hikari to take Naruto out into the city. They were to get him used to using his new strength and speed. As Miya had said, he might have adjusted to doing normal things, but to switch between super strength and gentleness was difficult to master.

He was learning quickly despite her admonishment to take it slow. He was already almost as good as Hibiki at roof jumping. He chuckled. It might have something to do with the fact that he was stronger than her. Matsu had told him the difference between the different combat types of Sekirei. Hikari and Hibiki were both long range fighters. He had close range physical power now. So... he could do this without getting winded.

At least that's what he assumed. He sure wasn't tired. Yet Hibiki and Hikari were starting to tire. Even now they were catching up to him. He glanced to the side...and smiled. Naruto thought, _"_ _Let's have a real test."_ He raised himself into a crouch. Tensing his muscles he tried to judge where he would land. Then he sprang. His leap took over the wide street and onto the opposing rooftop. Behind him he sensed that the twins had found him again. _"_ _Time to test my limits."_ He bent his head and sprinted across the roof. Dashing from roof to roof he quickly increased the distance between him and the twins. They saw him and shouted for him to wait.

He smiled and kept going. He'd catch them later.

 **Ooo**

A few minutes later he landed in an alley. It was shadowed and damp. He held his breath to avoid inhaling the pungent scent and walked out.

Immediately he bumped into someone walking by. He reached out to steady the girl... Then realization hit him. First it wasn't a girl. It was a younger boy... Second he felt like... a Sekirei. And third... he was most certainly not a Sekirei. He was the same boy who had been in charge of the Sekirei who had attacked Musubi.

Naruto's eyebrows drew together in anger. This kid had it coming big time.

The kid either recognized him as well... or didn't take kindly to being bumped into. He brought his hand up to smack Naruto in the chest. The force behind the blow sent him reeling. One thought entered his mind, _"_ _Ok...This guy isn't normal either."_ A second later Naruto felt anger rise in his chest. _"_ _If he was this strong before why didn't he save his own Sekirei from being hurt? This bastard twice as bad as I though!"_

Naruto suddenly found himself fighting. The boy wasn't taking a passive role in this fight either. Naruto ducked a wild punch and twisted aside from a jab that would have hit his throat. Naruto caught the wrist as it went by and twisted hard. He heard a shout of pain from his opponent. Then Naruto felt a blow land on his shoulder. It twisted him around.

His foe was the stronger one, but he didn't have a clue about hand to hand combat. Naruto lashed out to grab the already sprained wrist. He succeeded in catching it. Naruto used it as a lever to pull the boy towards him... and into a raised knee. Naruto's knee slammed into a stomach and then the leg extended to kick the boy's feet out from under him. Skillfully he kept the arm suspended in the air. Naruto heard an audible grinding sound from the shoulder joint as the boy slammed face first into the sidewalk.

Just as Naruto let the hand go, he ducked. A blade whistled overhead. He saw a tall man with odd golden/grey hair. He wore black with a...yellow cape?

Naruto dodged a second swipe of the long katana blade. Without thinking he settled into a crouch and reached behind him... for something... His brain caught up with his hands a moment later wondering what he had been reaching for. He hit upon the thought... He was unarmed. Even a pocket knife would have been some protection.

He thought, _"_ _Doesn't matter. I just have to hold out until I can make_ _break for it. Besides that kid looks like I knocked him out... Was his pain tolerance that low?!"_ Naruto blinked and stepped to the side, his body taking over while his mind wandered. The blade pushed past him then swung to the side. Naruto's hands moved on their own catching the blade between his palms. He smirked at his own sudden move.

His current opponent looked surprised. Naruto exerted his strength and the blade snapped off near the hilt. Naruto spoke casually. "Katanas are weak to lateral stress. You can break the blade easy if you hit the side."

Pressing the advantage he threw his body forward and punched into the man's face.

His fist was caught on an open palm. Naruto realized his mistake a moment later as the broken edge of the sword grazed his cheek. _"_ _This guy is a serious combat type. Got to get him to drop the blade, broken or not."_ He slammed his other hand into the shoulder holding the blade. At the same time he lifted his knee to hit the guy's stomach.

Naruto smiled as he heard the ring of steel on concrete. Then gasped as something sharp stabbed into his side. It was small whatever it was...and sharp. Letting his knee drop he ignored the pain in his side. He broke the grip on his left hand and then hurled his left shoulder into his enemy. A surprised grunt could be heard as Naruto grabbed the man's arm with both hands. He used his superior height and leverage to fling the man over his head grinning ferally. _"_ _Kenpachi would be proud."_

 **Ooo**

Mutsu slammed into the sidewalk..hard. This kid was too strong. Mikogami was already out of it, so his Norito wasn't going to happen. Mutsu rolled to the side quickly attempting to get to his feet. A sharp twist from his arm and a jagged blot of pain told him that the boy still had his arm. Calling on his power he hardened the joint. Then he locked his arm and pulled. The blond sailed over his head this time.

 **Ooo**

Naruto saw the skin on the trapped arm change color, assuming a grey hue. Then it straitened and pulled. Naruto was in the air before he realized it. He twisted and landed on his feet like a cat. His mind already working out what happened. He thought, _"_ _Must be part of his power. Can he increase his strength or something. What's up with the change in color?"_

Naruto saw the man stand and turn. Then Naruto's hears registered a crack. He looked down. The ground was splitting apart beneath him. Crouching, he tensed to leap. But just as he was about to pain ripped across his chest.

He leapt off to the side instead of flinging himself at his opponent. Landing on a roll on the roof of the building next to him. He stood ad looked down at his chest. Three pieces of something grey were sticking out of his chest. Naruto grimaced at the pain. He pulled them out quickly, expecting the other man to leap up to continue the fight.

Then he looked over the edge of the roof. His opponent had hoisted the young boy onto his shoulder and was running down the street. Naruto felt confused for a moment. _"_ _Why is he running? Did he not want to attack me? Why attack then. Why not just halt the fight. He could have said something any time. And when did that twerp get a new Sekirei. That guy wasn't there when he attacked Musubi-chan."_

Naruto sighed painfully and looked down at his hand. The three sharp implements looked like bits of stone made into throwing knives. He wondered if that Sekirei had some ability to form the stone itself. Naruto grumbled aloud, "That would be a lot more useful than shaping gold. Stone is everywhere. There just isn't a ton of gold lying around to use."

Puzzled, Naruto turned and jumped back towards where Hikari and Hibiki would likely be trying to catch up. His mind churned with questions now. He would have to ask Matsu about that boy when he got back to Izumo Inn. She would know about anything important.

 **Ooo**

Mutsu splashed water on his Ashikabi's face. Mikogami woke up slowly. Mustsu waited as his eyes opened and cleared from their pained haze. Mutsu asked, "Why did you attack that Sekirei? I didn't see him do anything to you."

"That wasn't... a Sekirei. He's like me. Minaka altered his genes to bring out his old Sekirei powers." Sitting up Mikogami bit his lip. It didn't help distract him from the pain. "Minaka told me that I should test myself against him if I ever saw him again... though I don't know why _he_ is so special."

"It doesn't matter. I got us away."

Taking a long breath Mikogami said, "Ok...I won't mess with him again. I learned my lesson. I think I'm stronger, but he knew how to fight like a professional. With powers like his, he minds as well be a single number."

Mutsu nodded in agreement, "Yes, he was surprisingly well trained. I believe he studied Aki-do. He used a textbook Aki-do throw on me. I admit it hurt much more than it should. I'm not a true close combat type."

He hoisted Mikogami onto his shoulder. "I'll carry you back to the car. Try to keep still. You need to heal properly."

Behind Mutsu's head he heard his Ashikabi whine, "Ouch! careful...I think I broke a rib."

Mutsu sighed. _"_ _I wish I had a different Ashikabi."_

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Karasuba stood in the middle of a deserted street. On one side, where she was standing, was a large buckling of the sidewalk. Earth from beneath had been forced upward. Karasuba walked over and bent down. Something red had caught her eye. It was a splotch of blood.

She dipped a finger in it...bringing it to her lips. It smelled fresh. And having followed the sounds of combat here... she knew it was fresh regardless. Karasuba lick her finger clean. She thought wonderingly, " _Human blood? What was a human doing fighting? This isn't Sekirei blood, but why would a human be injured. We aren't supposed to attack humans, Ashikabi or not."_

She sighed. There really wasn't much evidence to go on. She walked past the damaged portion of sidewalk... and stopped. Karasuba saw more blood on the side of the nearby building. She realized it was too far up. The splotch of red was at least ten feet up on the wall. She jumped to the roof and smiled. This was more interesting.

Blood had dripped on the roof as well. There were also what appeared to be three stone knives lying there. They were bloody too. Karasuba stooped to pick one of them up. She licked it as well. The taste... it was the same. Her hunters instincts kicked in and she tracked the trail of blood. A smile lit the corner of her mouth.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Naruto decided that being part Sekirei was about the most awesome thing that could ever happen to him, even though it seemed to draw trouble to him like a high powered magnet. Although if he thought about it logically, trouble always seemed to seek him out anyway, regardless of his ability to deal with it. Except now days he could kick trouble's ass and not be worse for wear.

He lamented the fact that he couldn't fly, but maybe that would come later. Who knew?

Naruto looked to his left and right. He was sitting at a table in one of those nice outdoor restaurants. The twins sat either side of him. There were a few other people sitting at nearby tables, but other than that... the entire street seemed empty. Which was really weird when he thought about it. A huge city like this had streets near its heart... where few if any people ventured outside? But he supposed it was another thing that wasn't so strange if he thought about it. The Sekirei plan had been going on for a while now. The normal people who weren't involved were bound to catch wind of it. Or at the very least, learn to steer clear of certain areas.

He wondered if this street was particularly dangerous when it came to Sekirei encounters.

A tug at his left and touch by his cheek alerted him to Hibiki. He turned to the left just as she was about to nibble him. Her cheeks were a dark pink, bordering on red. She always seemed to blush like this when they sat together. Not so much when they were training or just talking, but just being close to him made them...horny? _"_ _Is that the right word for it?"_

"Naruto-kun, I was thinking. Maybe instead of going right back to the inn... we could stop by a hotel... or something." She looked down and her fingers traced his bicep as he processed what she had said.

It took him longer than it should have to catch exactly what she was asking. His jaw fell open. "Wait... You're not talking about... _that..._ are you?"

She nodded and moved her lips to his shoulder. She pulled the fabric back so she could kiss his skin. He shivered as her lips dragged across him. Hibiki murmured, "Well Naru-kun... since we almost... um got there at the inn. I couldn't stop thinking about it. I was even distracted straining earlier."

He gulped, "You were thinking about it that much...?"

There was a harder pull on his other arm. He glanced at Hikari. Her face and neck were a deep crimson. She wasn't looking at him, but he could almost feel her emotions. She was struggling to keep her composure. She took a deep breath. "It... it's hard for us... you're too strong... as an Ashikabi. Being with you is intoxicating..."

Naruto looked between them. He had to ask, "Are you going to get like this every time we're alone together or... I mean will you get... er... hot... like this all the time?"

He wasn't sure how he'd feel about that. If all the Sekirei with him got aroused just by being around him...constantly? He wasn't a pervert, but it still sounded a bit too good to be true. _"_ _But that would get crazy. Musubi is pretty calm and so is Akitsu, but Tsukiumi might blow up if I actually slept with the twins in anything other than the literal sense. Of course I don't know how Matsu would react either, but I have a strange feeling that she wouldn't mind all that much..."_

Naruto took a deep breath. "I'm not sure about doing _it._ When we were at the Inn, it just happened. We were..eh... kissing and got carried away, ya know."

Hibiki asked rather simply, "Could we get carried away again...please...?"

He coughed as a waiter came with the bill for their food. Naruto quickly paid and the man left. He searched the expressions of his two Sekirei for something that wasn't there... restraint... He didn't really see any. Hikari was trying to be composed but her hands wouldn't stop fidgeting. And not to mention her skin was even more flushed than her sister's.

Naruto muttered to himself and stood up. The twins rose as well. He turned away from the table and pushed the chair in with his foot. He waited as the twins did the same. Once that was done he let them take one of his arms each. "I guess we could... try again, but I don't know how far I'm comfortable going."

He smiled sheepishly.

Hibiki clutched his arm tightly and reassured him, "When you winged me you were very aggressive... I don't know all that much about it, but it might help..."

"You have a lot of faith in someone who's never actually done it."

"I don't think I care what it is...as long as _you're_ the one doing it." She looked down the street and pointed. Naruto saw what she was gesturing to. He choked slightly.

He gasped, "But that place would be too expensive for me! I don't carry that kind of cash around." Admittedly it would be nice to do this in a luxury room, but he still hadn't received any raise in allowance from his mom. So at the moment he was short on money.

She had pointed to an old, yet expensive hotel. It was one of those places that only survived because of an ancient reputation for excellent service and good rooms. It was a five story building, which made it seemed very small in comparison to the skyscrapers that liberally dotted the city.

Naruto's objections were washed aside when he saw the sign.

" _Couples stay for half_ "

Hibiki was already pulling him towards the doors. He decided to go along easy. That way it wouldn't look like he was being dragged into a hotel by his girlfriend...

A minute later the three of them were stepping though the large sliding doors. They looked around. The architecture was simple and graceful. Not in the traditional Japanese style, but in more of a European style. Naruto glanced around for people and the check in. He saw a few people who were just finished checking in. They were laughing as they headed to the elevator.

Naruto walked towards the counter where a woman was checking the last group in. She looked up as the three of them drew close. Her grey eyes caught his blue ones. Then she looked to his Sekirei. She smiled and asked, "How may I help you?"

Her voice was deeply accented with what might have been Irish. It was a little hard to understand her Japanese, but he caught what she asked. "Um...room for three please."

Her eyes twinkled as she saw Hikari and Hibiki clutch at his arms possessively. "Well let me see..." She leaned back as if to check a chart on her side of the counter.

Hibiki heard the woman name a price. Her own surprise was mirrored for a second in Naruto's expression. He pulled out his wallet and quickly paid. She felt anticipation building. She would get her Ashikabi's first time. He said it would be his first. It meant that he wouldn't be very adept, but she didn't have any experience herself so it didn't matter.

Naruto took his change from the clerk who gave him a smile. "Enjoy your stay Mr. Uzumaki." He nodded and took the room key. Then he turned away from the desk and toward the elevator. Hibiki glanced back at the clerk. The woman winked at her and gave a little wave before going back to work. She wondered, _"_ _Was it that obvious why we were here?"_

 **ooo**

 **ooo**

Karasuba stopped searching a while later. She had found absolutely...nothing. The trail had gone cold and in her experience, there weren't a lot of people who could bandage a wound while hopping from rooftop to rooftop. And the number of individuals who could manage it while going fast enough to avoid her? She didn't know any Sekirei that would do that.

She knew full well that Sekirei weren't immortal. In fact they were missing a critical part of what they needed to be completed. Something granted by their Ashikabi. So no Sekirei would take a chance on bleeding out. There had been a lot of blood and now there was none. It was only a five minutes run to where the battle had taken place at the side of the street.

She didn't know where to look now. She's searched this northern part of the city, but no real trace of the mysterious Ashikabi had presented its self. Karasuba wondered if the Ashikabi wasn't in the northern area at the moment. He might not be aware how much attention he drew by winging six Sekirei.

Karasuba smiled and started towards the center of the Northern area. It might get her killed, but there was a slight chance that the Demon of the North was involved with this Ashikabi. If that was the case...

 **ooo**

 **ooo**

Naruto barely locked the door to the room before Hibiki was dragging him back into the room and to the large bed. It was against the back wall, neatly made. Naruto saw Hikari slipping off her shirt as she followed behind.

He looked back just in time to be pulled onto the bed. He landed beside Hibiki, who was in the process of removing her own shirt. Naruto felt arms twine around him from the other side. Hikari was moving her hands down his chest. Her fingers found the edge of his jacket. Naruto looked back as Hibiki unzipped it. Then it was pulled off in one movement.

A second later and his shirt was gone too. The hands of the twins were slightly cold on his heated skin. They were breathing hard, but so was he. Naruto pushed the reluctance out of his mind and reached out to hook Hibiki by the center loop of her bra. He pulled her into him. She came easily leaning forward to kiss him.

He had a devilish idea.

Instead of kissing her on the lips, he ducked his head to her neck. He kissed her skin, which was on fire. He moved down slightly and Hibiki gave a short moan. _"_ _found your sensitive spot."_ He drew away smiling. He was loving that sound she made. The fact that he was the one causing it made him want more. Naruto found the tender piece of skin again. It was just down from her jaw line and as he sucked it, Hibiki moaned past his ear.

Hibiki could feel Naruto's hands roaming her body now. They were curious, but quickly sought out those special places only a lover would know. His lips... and his wonderful teeth at her neck. It was making her mind go slightly hazy from pleasure. But at the same time her discomfort grew. He hadn't kissed her lips...

Naruto bit Hibiki on her tender spot. She tensed and whimpered. He pulled back far enough so that his hands could unclasp her bra. It fell a moment later, revealing her breasts to him for the second time. Naruto took her breasts in each hand, rubbing his fingers over the nipples. He caught the look on her face as he pinched them softly. It was immensely pleasing. Half way between ecstasy and reproof. Naruto's eyes fell on her lips. He thought, _"_ _I really want to go forward now...am I that aggressive?"_ He didn't know.

Naruto's hands paused in their torture. Hibiki looked down at her Ashikabi. He looked thoughtful. _"_ _What could he possibly be thinking about?! There nothing to...!"_

Naruto pushed a hand down into her skirt while moving his hand up to grasp and smooth over her neck. His finger pressed into the little red mark where he had nibbled and sucked at her. Her mouth opened in a moan, but she was cut off as he pushed forward to kiss her.

If she had the ability to think with the pleasure that jarred through her, she would have taken back her earlier comment about inexperience. Naruto seemed _too_ experienced. For his age or for the situation. Hibiki felt her wings crackle into life behind her. The hair on Naruto's arm stood on end and his hair appeared to defy gravity. Then...he stopped again.

Their lips parted as he looked away from her. Hibiki blinked in confusion as her pleasure high faded. _"_ _Why did he stop?! Naruto!"_

Naruto felt a tug on his arm and disengaged from Hibiki. _"_ _Oh...sorry!"_ He'd completely forgotten Hikari on his other side. _"_ _Jeeze, twins are so troublesome..."_

Hikari desperately pushed forward and kissed him. Her tongue entered his mouth, tasting him. He returned the attention, but tried to keep Hibiki occupied with his hand still cupping her _most_ sensitive area.

 **ooo**

 **ooo**

Miya gave Tsukiumi a sharp smack between the eyes...again. She sighed, "You are going to have to move. You can't just sit there and expect your opponent not to go straight for you."

Tsukiumi stepped back throwing her hands to her head. For the last twenty minutes or so she'd had this nagging feeling in the back of her head. It was like someone was whispering just barely loud enough to be heard. But not enough to be understood. It was going to drive her crazy if she didn't find out what it was.

It made her skin crawl. Not a bad feeling, but neither was it pleasant. _"_ _It must have something to do with Naruto. But he's with the twins. They were able to best me... He shouldn't be in any danger... but then again. If he were in trouble, it wouldn't feel like this.."_

"Tsukiumi! Are you even paying attention to your training?!"

She snapped back to reality. Miya was standing with her bokken over one shoulder. An expression of exasperation was plain on her face. On the lawn by the mansion sat Musubi and Akitsu. They were eating lunch while they watched her train.

Musubi looked tense and Akitsu's expression was stiff. Tsukiumi walked over to them, "Thy feel it too? Does thou know what this feeling is?" Musubi shook her head and Akitsu scowled.

Miya stepped over asking, "May I ask what is wrong. All three of you seem...uncomfortable."

Tsukiumi explained. "Just before I started training with thee, I had this... feeling that something was happening with Naruto. I can't tell what it is, but it makes me...confused." There was a sigh and Akitsu put her sandwich to the side. She brought both her hands to eye level. She made the OK sign with one and then stuck a finger into it. Then pushed back and forth.

Miya's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh...oh my...They're doing that...now?"

Akitsu nodded.

Tsukiumi and Musubi looked to Miya for explanation. "Miya...What does that mean exactly?"

Miya's eyes darted to the side. "Well...they aren't here so they it's not breaking any rules. Ahem... They are currently engaged in explicit sexual acts I would guess."

Tsukiumi felt an instant migraine push into her skull, right between her eyes. _"_ _I could forgive this if he had... had done it with me first... but they are almost his LAST Sekirei. I should have been with him in bed before them! o..."_

"Where is Naruto?"

Miya shrugged. "Were he my Ashikabi... I could tell you that, but he's not, so I can't. If your bond with him isn't great enough to find him..." Miya left the rest unsaid. Tsukiumi gritted her teeth and stormed into the house. She would find where Naruto was...and more importantly, where the twins were. They needed a lesson.

 **ooo**

 **ooo**

Hikari mumbled something into Naruto's shoulder. It was too muffled to hear. Naruto pulled her head up to rest on his chest. "Hey Hikari-chan... you need to speak up if you want me to hear you."

She fluttered her eyes open, "Huh...Naru-kun... no let me sleep... I'm too tired." She shifted slightly and Naruto groaned. Hikari let out a gasp which followed a pleasurable sensation running up her spine.

Naruto grumbled, "You're going to mess around and get me hard again if you keep doing that..." Hikari was still on top of him. Her naked form was still covered in sweat. Naruto lamented the fact that both twins had already been tired. As it was they'd both been exhausted after one round. It had been amazing though. He moved his hand to brush the hair out of Hikari's eyes.

The last... he didn't know how long... had been amazing. He felt immensely pleased, but something bugged him. A feeling of familiarity, like he'd done this before. _"_ _But that's crazy. I've never had sex before. I was never really into porn either... so why do I feel like I've done this already?"_

Naruto thought he heard something. He raised his head, focusing on his hearing. _"_ _There it is again. Like someone whispering."_ Naruto inclined his head to Hibiki. But she was fast asleep. _"_ _I must be losing it."_

 ** _"Naruto..."_**

 _"HOLY SHIT!"_

Naruto nearly jumped out of his skin. That voice. Low and unmistakably masculine. It sounded like it had come from right behind him. _"_ _But I'm lying flat on a bed. That's impossible..."_ He sat up and looked around. Hikari rolled off him as he did so. She mumbled something again, his ears didn't catch it.

And after five minutes the voice didn't come again. Naruto sighed. _"_ _Great now I'm going crazy, but damn if it doesn't feel like I'm missing something. It's like that voice was inside my head"_ It was extremely unnerving but he let it go. Then he felt a pulse. It was in the back of his mind. Like... _"_ _Like I'm in trouble or something.."_

Naruto nudged Hibiki awake. Wearily she raised her head. Her hair was a mess and her face was still flushed red. She was very... sexy... He briefly wondered how one of those cheezy romance writers would have described her. Then he forced that out of his mind too. He didn't really want to know how some old pervert would describe someone he'd just made love to.

Hibiki's eyes fluttered open and he said, "We need to get back to the Inn now."

She let her head drop onto his chest and let out an overdramatic snore. He chuckled. "Sorry Hibiki-chan. I know you're tired... I could refill your energy for you..." He let the offer hang for just long enough. His words sank into her and integrated themselves. Eventually she nodded her head into his chest.

Naruto smirked, "Do I have to do everything? Ok..." He and tilted her chin towards him. Hikari looked up as he kissed her twin. Naruto deepened the kiss leaning into it. He still had more than enough energy and he tried to pour it into Hibiki. It felt amazing. Heat suffusing him just as much as his Sekirei. Hibiki snaked her hands up his chest as strength rushed into her. Blue light flared behind her as her wings activated again.

Her soft skin burned and Naruto forced her down. He forgot about the feeling of urgency that nagged at him. He desired...he wanted more of Hibiki's touch. Her warmth and...her sweet taste...

For her part, she embraced the idea of a second round.

 **ooo**

 **ooo**

Tsukiumi heard a knock at the front door. She paused on her way to the phone. She had already called him and gotten... nothing. It made her very... _vexed._ Was that the right word for it? She didn't know. Perhaps pissed off would better describe how she felt. Regardless, she had waited a while for him to call her back. When he didn't she decided to call again.

Despite Miya's admonishment about the bond between her and Naruto...she wasn't ready to go out and just find him so easily. But now someone... some jerk... was at the door. And since Miya was still in back tending to her trainees, it was her duty to answer.

She grumbled as she diverted towards the front of the Inn. Just her luck. Couldn't this person, whoever it was, have come some other time? When Tsukiumi wasn't so agitated.

The door opened and Tsukiumi came face to face with a woman. A few years older than her. She was attractive...very much so, with long silver hair and pale skin. Tsukiumi's gaze fell on the large katana strapped to her hip... and then to the badge that rested above the belt on the left right side of her waist. It was the symbol for the Sekirei plan's Discipline Squad.

Tsukiumi was sufficiently shocked that she couldn't reprimand her for coming at such an inconvenient time. _"_ _A Discipline Squad member...here? Why?! They're supposed to be the most dangerous of all the Sekirei released!"_ Tsukiumi stared into grey ringed eyes. The black pupil like a tiny gate to oblivion.

"Well... I think I recognize you... You wouldn't ...happen to be #9 Tsukiumi.. would you?"

She nodded, "That...I am..And who are thou?"

The older woman smiled, "No one of any importance you can be sure. Now that I have had the fortune... one might say, of meeting you in person, might I ask where your Ashikabi is?"

Tsukiumi had the good sense not to blurt out Naruto's name in front of this person. Instead she stammered, "My...Ashikabi? Why would thou be interested in him? And...who are you. I will not hand out information to an unnamed Sekirei."

Her courage failed her as the woman smiled turned predatory, "#4 Karasuba... regrettably, _not_ at your service. Now, unless you want to know what it feels like to be at the center of a _successful_ sword swallowing routine... tell me where your Ashikabi is."

A moment passed and Tsukiumi was suddenly very glad that Naruto was away, even if it was with the twins. "I...do not know, He left early this morning and has not returned here. And he will not answer his cell...Thy would have to wait for him."

Karasuba sighed long. Her hand, which had been slowly inching towards the hilt of her sword, eased away. She tilted her head in acknowledgment, "Very well...#9. I will be returning sometime to see your Ashikabi. Please tell him that I was looking for him... and... by the way, What is his name?"

Tsukiumi gathered all the strength she had and blurted, "Ask him thyself. I will not give his name to one such as thee!"

Karasuba's smile widened even more, sowing teeth that...looked like they were filed to points. "As you wish... I will... see you another time then."

With that the Black Sekirei turned on her heel and left. As she exited the gate to the Inn, Miya came rushing up behind her, her own sword in hand. Tsukiumi looked at the Landlady. What she saw disturbed her more than the threat of Karasuba's vengeance. It was Miya's anger, raw and unchained. It radiated off her like a black veil. It was...killing intent.

Tsukiumi choked on it and grasped the doorway for support. After Karasuba was out of sight, the horrid feeling dissipated, leaving her gasping. Miya glanced at Tsukiumi and snapped, "What did she want?!"

Tsukiumi coughed, "Naruto...she wanted Naruto..."

 **Ooo**

 **Oooooo**

 **Ooo**

Naruto put his foot behind him to brace for impact a Tsukiumi flung herself at him. He caught her easily, her weight like a feather. The moment their skin touched, she felt his emotions and the same happened to him. She was worried and scared. He was calm and concerned. Naruto slipped an arm around her and kissed her on the cheek, "Tsukiumi-chan... what happened? You look like you saw a ghost."

In the doorway Akitsu nodded, "She did. We were visited by the Black Sekirei, the most dangerous Sekirei alive." Naruto looked to her.

"I take it Tsukiumi-chan answered the door?"

She nodded, stepped forward. Naruto bent slightly to kiss her on the lips. Akitsu smiled, reassured by the contact. She said rather bluntly, "We felt what you were doing with them... I wish you had done it with me first."

Naruto scratched his head with one hand, while keeping the other around Tsukiumi. "Yeah...it was kinda spur of the moment. I wasn't planning to do it. They insisted." Akitsu glanced at Hibiki and Hikari, "It that true?"

Hikari looked away, "I don't have to report to you. You aren't my superior. Only Naruto tells us what to do. You might have been his second Sekirei but you aren't our boss." Hibiki twiddled her fingers, "Well, it was rude of us... I guess. Maybe we should have let Musubi-chan get him first. After all she is his original Sekirei."

"Hey...no arguing. If you take orders from me then I say...no fights. It's already confusing enough. Now... this Black Sekirei.. It sounds like she was looking for someone."

Tsukiumi pushed her face into his chest, "She was looking for you Naruto... She wanted to know where you were and what your name was. I didn't tell her either and so she left... I thought she was going to kill me."

Naruto rubbed a hand over Tsukiumi's head. "Never mind that for now. She might come back tomorrow, but I'm pretty sure I could take on most Sekirei these days, at least one on one." He grinned, "Besides, I've got my super healing factor. I'm almost impossible to keep down for long."

From the door into the Inn, Miya said, "The one who came is called #4 Karasuba. Of the original five Sekirei, she is the only one who's abilities were solely for close combat. The others had close combat ability, but not specialized like her. She was on the first Discipline Squad. An Elite task force used years ago to defend the Sekirei plan."

Miya turned as if to enter the building, "She sends her time doing nothing but training. And she is devoted to finding and killing any opponent she deems to be as strong as her. Simply put...she would butcher you."

Naruto looked at Miya in shock as she disappeared from sight. _"_ _I would be butchered? With how strong I've become...how is that even possible?"_ Naruto blinked and put his thoughts of that into a mental folder to be dealt with later. Bending down he picked Tsukiumi up bridal style and carried her into the Inn. Behind him Akitsu and the Twins followed. Naruto took her to his room.

No objections to being held like that were offered. It was almost surprising, but seeing how she was in a little bit of shock... he wouldn't question it. He laid her down on the bed before sitting next to her. Already in the room was Musubi. Naruto noticed that she was looking at the twins... with the most... unearthly expression on her cute face. Naruto decided it was time to remove that expression.

He leaned forward and dragged her into his lap. She didn't resist and tilted her face up to his. He kissed her, letting it last longer than the others. When he pulled away Musubi tucked her legs up under her chin, while his own arms circled her waist. Her scent tugged at him a bit and he sniffed her. Musubi's skin broke out in goose-bumps. Naruto sighed and rested his head on hers, looking around the room as he did so.

The twins sat on a small couch, which had been moved into the room. Akitsu sat on her own bed. He started to speak when the door swished open and Matsu entered. She hurried to him. Thinking she was going to go for a kiss he leaned away from Musubi. But then Matsu was hugging him tightly, much like Tsukiumi had earlier.

She whimpered into his ear, "I was watching the whole time. You were almost caught by #4. She was only a block away from you when she lost your trail...Oh Naruto... I thought she was hunting you down for sure when she came here. I thought that maybe winging six Sekirei had somehow made you a hostile target to MBI...!"

Naruto waited as Matsu almost broke down. He stopped her mid stream and closed her mouth with his hand. He said, "She didn't catch me." Then he pressed forward kissing Matsu. She instantly accepted it and pushed forward. He closed his eyes, pushing back. It lasted a moment before she withdrew. Her glasses were crooked. She straightened them and coughed lightly.

"Anyway Naru-tan...I'm glad you're safe."

He smirked as she looked around for someplace nearby to sit. Musubi scooted further up against Naruto while Tsukiumi had claimed most of the bed for herself. Matsu glared at Tsukiumi, but got no response. It had already been established that she wasn't a combat type. Finally she settled for the very edge of the bed, putting an arm around Naruto.

It was a moment before she got comfortable. Once she had she whispered in his ear, " _Naru-tan... you did it with the twins... can you do it with me next? I would love to experiment... And we could always go shopping before... planning is everything..._ "

Naruto caught what she was feeling and his cheeks went red. "Uh... Matsu-chan... maybe later." He turned back to the rest of the girls, "Anyway... I was thinking that I'm tough enough with my normal skills unless I can get some very specific training. So I wanted to figure out which abilities I have that will go well with yours."

Matsu tugged at his arm again, "I was actually thinking about that Naru-tan. I did a list of the different things that might work out."

"Really?" He was surprised. He knew she was really info oriented but she had obviously been thinking ahead.

"What did you think in specific?"

She smiled, "Well Naru-tan, I thought that your ability to manipulate gold could go with the twins lightning. If you had the ability to control gold in larger amounts you could manipulate them into strings and it would allow them to force much greater amounts of electricity along them. As it is they are sending it through the air which eats up a lot of power. If they sent it along a wire they could pump much more though without loss of energy."

Matsu put her hand to her chin thinking. "And I was thinking that if you could master your elemental wind power that you could do some serious damage. All of the wind users are powerful even if they don't have sheer power like you. And... It's nothing I'm sure about, but you can turn one kind of energy into another right?"

Naruto shrugged, "Yeah, so my mom told me, but I haven't figured out how yet. Why?"

Matsu raised her eyebrow, "Naruto! Don't you see how overpowered that is? You can basically use any of the many energy based Sekirei abilities just with that. Combined with the ability to control wind, you would have an unlimited, almost unending power supply. Even the smallest breeze could be turned into a tornado. And Aki-tan told me that you can create wind out of nothing so it's even stronger!"

He sighed, "Yeah sounds cool, but I don't know how to wiggle my ears and I know where that muscle is. I have no clue how to use all these awesome powers. I wish I did, but it's like searching around in the dark."

Matsu smiled wide, "I can help with that."

"Huh? How?"

Tsukiumi and Musubi both looked at her curious, "How do you intend on doing that?"

Matsu pushed her glasses up on her nose, "Let's just say I have my ways..." She left it hanging. Naruto felt something resembling anticipation cross her face. " _I've got a weird feeling about this. Why does she feel like she is really happy about something?"_

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

 **And here we end it. Poor Matsu… knowing that the gig is up and Tsukiumi knows she just a pervy nerd. It was fun lording it over her while it lasted!**

 **Now remember to review or** ** _bad_** **things might, just might… happen.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Warning warning… time skip approaching… that is confirmed control… time skip is approaching.**

 **Anyway hope you're still folloing and liking the changes. –ahem- moving on.**

 **(I don't own any part of Sekirei or Naruto)**

 ** _Chapter 7_**

Naruto felt Matsu's fingers drag though his hair. He closed his eyes. She always did this. It was part of the...uh what was it she called it...? Training? It had been a week since Karasuba's unplanned visit set a fire under them. In the time since then Naruto did his best to spend as much time away from the Inn as possible.

If he didn't then he would have been...discovered, as it were. The Black Sekirei had made it clear that she knew where he was. Every day she came...rarely at the same time, checking to see if he was "there". So far he had avoided her, but it might only be a matter of time before they encountered each other outside those neutral grounds.

So until that happened he trained...and tried to make as many friends as he could among other Ashikabi and Sekirei he met. So far though... the only Ashikabi who he'd made good contact with was a highschool student. His Sekirei had a beautiful voice... but not much else. They weren't fighters at all. All they wanted to do was escape. Naruto had yet to figure out how they were going to do that, so for the time being he had asked Miya to give them a room in Izumo Inn. It wasn't a bad arrangement. They both kept to themselves so Naruto rarely saw them. Although the one time they came down and the girl sang after dinner... that had been amazing.

A touch at his chest broke him out of his thoughts. His eyes opened to stare into Matsu's. "Naru-tan... Someone is coming. I think it's a Sekirei."

Naruto looked around. At first he saw nothing, but then he caught sight of a slender figure running though the grass towards them. It was a boy, a bit younger than him. He had silver hair and odd eyes to match. Also odd... the fact that he was wearing what amounted to a skirt. If it had been plaid then he could have called it a kilt. But no it wasn't plaid and it sure wasn't a kilt.

He raised an eyebrow as the boy stopped a few feet away from him, out of breath. Naruto glanced at Matsu who smirked back at him and shrugged.

He straightened then. "You're an Ashikabi right?!"

Naruto nodded, "Yeah, and you're a Sekirei."

The boy nodded quickly, "Please, my name is Shiina #107 and My Ashikabi got in a fight with the Discipline Squad! Please help!"

Naruto quickly stood and helped Matsu to her feet. "Ok, lead the way!"

Shiina smiled worriedly and dashed off to the west.

 **ooo**

 **ooo**

Haihane smashed her long steel talons into the wall of a store, narrowly avoiding the girl's face. She danced back and threw another stone with expert precision. It caught her right behind the ear.

"OUCH!"

Then Benitsubasa slammed the ground with her fist, triggering an earthquake. It ripped apart the ground beneath her feet, heading strait for her target.

 **ooo**

Yukari flung herself to the side, desperately praying that Shiina would return with help of some kind. She had been separated from him already by a great fissure in the earth. Even now the slim girl in the ragged kimono and the short one with the red karate gloves moved to corner her. She only had a few precious seconds before one of them connected. When it happened she would most likely be out for good.

The taller Sekirei pulled her razor claws from the stone wall. They probably weren't quite so sharp now. She smiled as both Sekirei turned in her direction, crouching in preparation for the next... and final... attack. _"_ _Come get me bitches!"_

Yukari's pupils contracted as both Sekirei leapt at her.

A split second before Haihane's claws plunged into the soft flesh of her belly and throat, something flashed between them. A bolt of white and blue.

Yukari heard several people shouting... an explosion followed by a huge blast of wind. She had closed her eyes, but now she opened them. She was looking up into the face of a Sekirei. She had amazing eyes that were very similar to Shiina's. Her hair was a light brown or dark blond. She had very pale skin as well.

She gasped out, "Who are you?!"

"Ah…. I am #7 Akitsu. My Ashikabi is here to help. Don't worry we can handle the Discipline Squad."

Yukari felt the ground pull away as Akitsu jumped twenty feet to her right. Then Akitsu was setting her down with Shiina and a ginger haired girl. She had glasses and a concerned look. Her focus was directed towards where the battle had stopped temporarily.

Shiina stepped forward to hug her tightly, "Yukari-sama... you're ok." She nodded and returned the hug. From behind her she heard her rescuers speaking with the enemy Sekirei.

Akistu turned to the redhead. "Matsu, Shiina, keep watch here. I will join Naruto-sama."

Yukari didn't register the name for a moment as Matsu nodded. Then she was whirling around to see the spiky blond hair and tanned skin of her older brother. He was standing beside a tall stunning blond. Naruto's back was to her, but she sensed that something was different about him.

 **ooo**

Haihane looked the young man up and down. He was tall, with unruly blond hair. He had bright blue eyes and prominent canines. They showed in his feral grin, making him seem almost animal. He felt... powerful. An aura of strength radiated out from him tainting the air with danger.

She straightened and pointed at him. "Sekirei-san, you should leave. This is none of your business."

He cracked his knuckles. His voice growled out, "No! You listen to me, attack who you like, but know that if I catch you, there will be hell to pay! And if you so much as lay a finger on my little sister, I will destroy you!"

Haihane's eyes widened as the street under him seemed to ripple. The air currents around his feet were twisting and writhing like serpents. He shouted, "I am Naruto Sahashi! The Northern Ashikabi!"

With that the air snapped outward. Haihane had the good sense to duck. Behind her she heard a scream as something hit Benitsubasa. She glanced back to see her companion. Benitsubasa's clothes were shredded and blood was spraying out from what looked like dozens of deep slashes. She fell back, landing flat on her back from the force of the attack.

"THOU SHOULDN'T LOOK FROM YOUR OPPONENT!"

Haihane looked back just in time to see a dragon shaped wall of water slam into her. It blasted her clear across the street and hammered her into a building. The impact cracked the wall. Pain blossomed in her chest. Broken ribs at least. Her breath came in a shallow gasp. Defiantly a punctured lung.

Then a deathly chill clutched at her. She looked up as a sphere of white energy overcame her.

 **ooo**

Yukari saw a rippling distortion tear though the air and catch the shorter Sekirei in the gut. Like dozens of swords were suddenly thrust past her, the black combat suit was shredded. Blood poured out into thin air as she fell backward with a cry.

The taller Sekirei was caught in a miniature tsunami that took the shape of a roaring dragon. Like a blue battering ram, it plowed across the street and into a building. It left her imbedded in the wall.

Then Yukari looked to Naruto. Her jaw dropped.

He was lifting Akitsu's face to meet his. Their lips met and her hands traveled around him, linking as light blue wings crystallized from her back. The huge wings shattered a moment later as Naruto drew back from her. The strand of saliva that linked them froze and broke as she breathed out. Frost blew over Naruto's face.

He looked to the side as did she. One slender hand untwined from him and pointed down the street to where Haihane was just looking up. First a pinpoint of white directed at Haihane... then a ball, then a huge sphere. Akitsu formed a blizzard at her fingertip before sending it across the street as a frozen meteor.

It blasted in to the wall, freezing it solid along with the still soaked Discipline Squad member

Naruto nodded to Akitsu and then turned away. The blond was walking back to him. She tossed her head and the gold of her hair fell behind her. She called out to him, "Naruto-kun! Does thy wish me to finish them off?!"

Naruto shook his head, "If they do that again they'll pay dearly, but I won't kill them. They're stuck in the Sekirei plan just like us. Anyway... we need to split. I'd bet my life that Karasuba will be here before too long. If she's nearby we'll just barely miss her. Come on! Let's go!"

He nodded to Akitsu, "Take Yukari. Tsukiumi, grab Shiina." The two girls nodded.

Yukari attempted to protest as she was lifted off her feet once more. Shiina didn't even blink as Tsukiumi lifted him by the back of the shirt. Naruto bent down and let Matsu climb onto his back. "Let's hightail it back to the Inn. As fast as we can go!"

Yukari found the breath to speak, but lost it again as she suddenly found herself thirty feet in the air. Her voice was officially useless as the six of them bounded through the city northward.

 **ooo**

 **ooo**

Homura sat, looking out over the city. He was at its second highest point. A skyscraper that towered a dozen blocks from MBI headquarters. The city below him was quiet, but a moment before there had been a commotion. He had seen it, but not clearly. From the energy he sensed, he guessed that it was Naruto's doing... or that the blond Ashikabi had been involved.

 _"Ah... Naruto, what the hell are you up to now. I swear, you draw trouble like nothing I've ever seen. Forget about Musubi. She's an amateur compared to you."_

Homura went rigid as a voice... cool and hard as a newly quenched blade spoke right next to his ear. "So... Homura... Tell me, where might I find your friend Naruto. He... _never..._ seems to be around. Perhaps you might be so kind as to... show me."

He instantly broke out in a cold sweat. "Karasuba... why are you here?"

She sounded disappointed, "Hm...? Number 6... I thought you were supposed to be a smart one. I... believe it's rather obvious why I'm here. You tell me where I can find Naruto when he isn't at the Inn... and I won't cut you open and find out what the inside of your ribcage looks like."

Homura felt the cold tip of a sword cut through the back of his jacket and shirt. It nicked his skin. "Well? If you don't answer me soon, I might get _curious..._ "

He nodded before she had the change to push her blade further into the muscles of his back. "Wait, hurting or killing me won't get you anything. And if Naruto or Miya found out they would never forgive you. They are my friends and the reverse is also true. Whatever you want from Naruto, you'll have to play nice if you ever want to get it."

 _"God I hope that works..."_

"I see... So Naruto values his friends much?"

Homura nodded, "Of course."

She hummed for a moment as if thinking to herself. "Pray tell... is he a kind Ashikabi? Do you have an interest in him #6?"

A strong instinct for survival told him to say no. Which was what he would have said anyway. "No. I'm still looking for a female Ashikabi. I will not be winged by a man."

"Hm... Then tell me #6, where can I find Naruto?"

He glanced back at her. Their eyes met. "I have no idea. He leaves the inn every morning to explore the city and to train. He rarely goes to the same spot. And he comes back to the inn to check in and to sleep. He doesn't have a second residence."

"Oh... So if I show up for dinner, then I might... catch him?" Her voice dropped to a purr. I might talk with him then?"

Homura nodded helplessly.

"Good... I appreciate the cooperation as they say. I will see you for dinner... Homura."

 **ooo**

 **ooo**

Yukari found herself sitting at a table in Naruto's bedroom at Izumo Inn. Shiina sat next to her, the very model of politeness.

Across from her sat her older brother. Naruto looked like he was a bit tired, but still... He had been leaping from building to building like some freaking superhuman gymnast. And with the ginger girl on his back!

When they had arrived at the Inn, Naruto had quickly explained the situation to Miya before hustling her into the main living room. At that very moment he had been attacked... (in a very pleasant way) by a busty brunet. She had been wearing what could only be described as a priestess Kimono... if they came in the combat variety... or the double D variety for that matter.

She had pushed him into the wall before kissing him hard. And Naruto... acted like this was an everyday thing. He returned it, causing her to moan into him.

Yukari had just stood there... watching him make out with her when two more girls had come in from the back yard of the Inn. They looked like twins... and she recognized them. It was Hikari and Hibiki, who had helped her and Shiina out before.

The second Naruto disengaged from the brunet, Hibiki had moved to kiss him as well. Her hands grabbing fistfuls of his shirt as the contact deepened. His own hand slipped around her waist. When that had ended, Naruto actually reached out and dragged Hikari against him. They kissed long enough that they had to stop to take a much needed breath. Naruto's cheeks were crimsoned, but he didn't seem embarrassed otherwise. His eyes darted between the twins. He smiled widely and let his breathing slow. It was obvious that he was extremely pumped at the moment.

Yukari decided that a talk was very much in order... but first things first. She needed to find out what was going on in a more general sense. That is... how the hell Naruto was an Ashikabi without her knowing about it!

 **ooo**

So now she waited for him to answer her first question of, "Why didn't you tell your own sister about this?"

Naruto looked away from her. He was uneasy with talking to her like this. Besides the point than it was unbelievably awkward to begin with... he had his Sekirei lounging around him, each vying for his attention. Musubi sat in his lap, as was her usual spot. Matsu was currently lying on the bed typing on her laptop. Tsukiumi was at his left. For a change she wasn't wearing her usual costume. Instead she had changed into a plain purple T-shirt and black yoga pants.

He decided he liked this outfit better. It was more attractive and had a very... Uzume-ish quality of lazy beauty. To his right was Hibiki. She held his arm possessively with her own. Her head rested on his shoulder.

Hikari and Akitsu were both in the kitchen with Miya. Naruto was glad that he didn't have to contend with _all_ his Sekirei at the same time. That would be a nightmare. Considering Yukari would likely try to chew him out over his many _failings_ as a brother. And each of them would defend him in their own way, which could easily turn into an argument, which would turn into a heated shouting match, swiftly followed by a fight. Then of course Miya would make her appearance and liberally distribute helpings of wooden ladle to all offenders.

Naruto sighed and answered Yukari, "I winged Musubi-chan and Akitsu-chan. Mom found out and she told me not to tell you unless you somehow become involved too. I guess you could say that we are both pawns here. Mom works for MBI as their head researcher. She helps oversee the entire Sekirei plan, which... you are now a part of."

Shiina raised his hand slowly, "um... Yukari-sama hasn't winged me yet... She isn't an Ashikabi..."

Naruto blinked in surprise. His Sekirei mirrored his confusion in slightly different ways.

Matsu spoke above everyone else. "Yukari Sahashi, you don't realize the strain you're putting on Shiina-kun. He is reacting to you even now. The fact that you have neglected to wing him is like psychological torture at this point. You see when a Sekirei reacts to his or her chosen Ashikabi it is a biological impeditive. Ignoring it can be debilitating or even physically painful."

She shifted and looked Yukari in the eye... and winked, "Besides, How can you expect to have any real fun without winging him first?"

Naruto hushed Matsu as Yukari's face turned redder and redder. She looked like she was going to faint. "Matsu-chan! Why do you have to be so blunt all the time?"

She smirked and flung her arm out. Her hand landed on top of his head. She pulled her fingers over his scalp before slipping off the bed. "I wasn't being blunt... besides you haven't even done me yet... I want to experiment Naru-tan..."

She cooed in his ear, drawing even more red to his face. "I know you promised to do it with Tsukiumi next, but you could always accidently go too far... I wouldn't mind..."

Naruto coughed and pushed her away with one finger, "Later Matsu-chan. There's only one of me ya know. Anyway... Yukari, don't worry about Matsu. She's a bit too..." He noticed the look on her face a moment before she passed out from lack of air.

She fell sideways onto Shiina, who nearly had a heart attack of his own. He laid her down and tried to revive her. Naruto grumbled and ordered Matsu to behave. It took ten minutes to revive his sister. And then another five before she had recovered fully.

Naruto apologized for Matsu, "Sorry sis, Matsu is a bit... forward sometimes. Forget about her. Anyway, I am sorry for not telling you about all this, but I don't think it would have changed much."

Yukari nodded, "Uh huh..." She went silent for a moment. "Ok, HOW did you get SIX Sekirei?!"

Naruto sighed and started explaining.

 **ooo**

 **ooo**

Two and a half hours later she had a better understanding on the situation. She also had a gleam in her eye that made Naruto rather uncomfortable. But that was partly because of the feelings that Tsukiumi was pouring through their bond. It was very distracting, but... not unexpected. She was making it known that she wanted to have her _special time_ soon. Secretly he wanted it too, but at the moment he still needed to contend with Yukari.

Fortunately she seemed flustered as well. Shiina had rested possession of her hand away from her. The little design that his fingers were tracing over her palm were probably very distracting.

Yukari glanced to her side, "Um... Shiina-kun, could you stop doing that. I can't think straight."

He stilled his hands immediately. Yukari looked back to Naruto, "So with _all_ of that in mind... you want me to help you bring down MBI? How am I supposed to help? I've only got Shiina with me."

Behind Naruto, Matsu said, "#107 Shiina is one to the last two Sekirei. He has control over death. He is able to kill any Sekirei simply by activating his Norito and touching them. He is the polar opposite of his sister Kusano, who is # 108. She has the ability to revive Sekirei... or anyone really with her Norito. However neither of them have any close combat ability."

Naruto smirked, "See, once you two are bonded, you'll have a Sekirei as powerful as one or two of mine. So... you gonna help or not? I already explained to you that once a Sekirei reacts to you, your normal life is basically over."

Yukari let her body fall back with a groan, "Oh come on! I just got accepted into a nice school here and now it all gets screwed up!? No fair!"

She sighed, "I guess there's no point in refusing. I'll help, besides I'm gonna have to meet this Minaka guy so I can help you kick his ass."

Tsukiumi nodded, "That is more like it... Naruto, I will train with thee if you wish." She nuzzled him with her cheek, attempting to get her message across.

Naruto understood what she was asking and glanced at Yukari in apprehension. She didn't seem to take notice of it. He quickly sent a pulse of emotion to Hibiki and Musubi. Musubi shifted and looked back at him. He winked at her and shrugged his shoulders fractionally. She tilted her head to the side.

 **ooo**

Yukari watched Naruto interact with his Sekirei carefully. It was like interpreting a long complicated series of small body movements. A shrug, a tilt of the head, or a wink. It meant something between them. She was amazed at how close he was to them. It was almost like he'd lived with them for years and could talk without speaking. She wondered if that's what Naruto had meant by the Sekirei Ashikabi bond.

She looked at Shiina as Naruto stood up.

He said, "I'm going out to train with Tsukiumi for a while. I'll be back by dinner."

His Sekirei nodded and Yukari raised her eyebrow. She guessed what he was really going out to do. He wanted to have some alone time with the blond Sekirei.

The door slid closed after him. Hibiki, Matsu, and Musubi shared a look. Yet more unspoken communication passing between them. After a moment Musubi stood and left with Hibiki.

Yukari asked, "So um... Matsu, why do all of these girls like Naruto? He was never popular with girls before."

Matsu glanced over at her smiling. "Naru-tan is different from most people. And it isn't just the fact that he's a powerful Ashikabi. Tsukiumi says he was like that before he'd winged ay Sekirei. He's nice and generous. And he's always trying to help. Even when we fight over him, he knows how to make peace. I don't think most Ashikabi could handle six Sekirei even if they could wing that many.

There was a moment of silence where Yukari wondered what to say next. Then she heard the shout from the other side of the house.

 **ooo**

 **ooo**

Naruto opened the door, Tsukiumi still by his side. He glanced at her smiling, but stopped as her pupils contracted. He jerked his attention back to the door way.

A young woman with ash colored hair and cold silver eyes stood there, a playful smile hovered around her lips. The fingers of her left hand played with the pommel of her long katana. Naruto knew who she was the moment he saw the eyes, predatory and wild, with the raw cunning to match. She was the Hound of MBI, Karasuba.

Fear didn't enter his mind despite Miya's warning about Karasuba's power.

The blade flashed out and Naruto reflexively turned his head to the side, twisting his body out of the way. The edge cut a lock of hair from the side of his head before slicing cleanly through the door frame.

He shoved Tsukiumi back as Karasuba took an aggressive stance and brought the sword to bear again, her smile having turned into a feral grin. He dodged the next attack barely. It swished past his middle as he darted backwards. The cloth of his shirt was cleanly cut as the point missed him by centimeters. Naruto saw the next move she would make. A direct thrust that he couldn't avoid. She'd spear him right through the heart.

Naruto's teeth set and he brought his arms into line as the point of her sword aimed for his chest. Almost in slow motion the katana pushed out to him as his palms came together.

 **SLAP!**

Karasuba blinked in startled amazement as the boy's hands trapped her blade. She frowned and pushed hard. He held his ground. He couldn't possibly be this strong. Humans just couldn't...

Naruto twisted his hands to the side with a jerk

 **SNAP!**

The blade rang on the floor as Naruto broke it with a quick turn of his arms. He watched Karasuba as she seemed to be frozen in time. Her grin faded slowly. Her eyes rose to meet his. Confusion.

She asked, "Who…what.. are you?"

Naruto frowned as well, "Don't you usually figure that out before you try to kill someone?"

Karasuba's jaw dropped as a girlish cry came from behind Naruto. A second later he felt the weight of a body on his back and arms wrapping tightly around him. He realized who it was the moment he felt the breasts pressed into his back and the lips slipping over the back of his neck

He grunted, "Musubi-chan. Not really the time right now."

He looked to Karasuba who's gaze was now shocked. "How...? Are you a human Ashikabi... or something else?"

Naruto patiently waited while Musubi slipped off him and took notice of Karasuba's cheeks, which were slowly deepening in color. He looked her up and down, his eyes settling back on her's. The Black Sekirei was staring at him, slightly dumbfounded.

Musubi piped in, "Suba-sama! Did you come to see Naruto-kun?"

Karasuba nodded silently. Naruto remarked, "It _seemed_ like you came to kill me, or was that some kind of crazy handshake with you?" He asked it humorously, but meant it as a serious question.

She quickly dipped to the floor, retrieving the broken point of her sword. She dropped it in her sheath before pushing the other half in as well. It snicked closed and her hands moved to her sides. Naruto tried to read her body language, but it was deceptive. She looked relaxed now, even if her face showed confusion.

Karasuba said, "No... that was not a greeting Ashikabi-kun. That was a test. I didn't expect you to doge that first strike at all." She bowed ever so slightly, "I apologize. When you dodged it my instinct to attack took over. I had planned to draw back at the last moment."

"Trying to see if I would flinch huh?"

She nodded, "Are you actually human. I've never met a human, Ashikabi or not, that was a strong or as fast as you."

He shrugged, "Minaka altered my body. I'm basically a Sekirei and an Ashikabi at the same time." Naruto looked behind him as the soft patter of footsteps heralded Miya's arrival. She stopped the moment she rounded the bend in the hall. Her eyes tracked from Naruto in the doorway, to Karasuba just outside. Then to Musubi standing next to him and Tsukiumi a few feet away.

She had her own sword drawn. Her eyebrows drew together. "What do you want this time...#4?"

Karasuba tilted her head, "Oh... That. I just wanted to stop by for dinner and to see Naruto here. I've been trying to get... a hold of him... for quite some time. Understand that I wasn't trying to... start any fights." She glanced at Naruto. "I was intrigued by your tenant... that's all."

Miya sheathed her sword slowly. "You are not welcome inside this building... but... if I have you swear that you will refrain from ANY violent actions. I will permit you to dine with us... this once."

Naruto's jaw dropped as it occurred to him just how massive this was in the scope of things. Miya hated Karasuba with a passion bordering on unrealistic. Before he'd found out about it he though such heavy grudges only came about in feudal times.

Karasuba smiled, showing off her canines. "Of course Miya. I wouldn't... dream of such a thing within your home... May I come in?"

The older Sekirei nodded curtly. She quickly turned and left the hall. Naruto watched her go. Then he moved to the side as Karasuba stepped forward. Naruto picked up alluring smell drifting from her. It caused his heart to speed up with the proximity. He didn't show it, but her scent made him want to push closer and inhale deeply. He thought, _"She smells as good as Akitsu..."_

She turned to look him up and down as she passed into the mansion. Naruto hastily grabbed Musubi by the arm and nudged Tsukiumi out of her trance. Then he followed the silver haired Sekirei into the main dining room. Naruto saw that some of his Sekirei had already seated themselves... seemingly unaware of what had proceeded in the entryway.

But as they looked up and saw Karasuba... their reactions were plain. Hikari and Hibiki both shivered violently. Akitsu blinked and shifted, uncomfortable. Naruto looked up as Matsu entered the room from the other side. He tilted his head towards Karasuba and mouthed, "BE CALM."

Matsu blinked in acknowledgement before pushing her glasses further up on her nose.

Karasuba looked over those who were there with a casual eye. She immediately deemed them less than a threat. She removed her sword from her belt and set it against the wall before moving to the table. There she sat, adjusting herself while everyone else hurriedly put distance between them.

Naruto sighed and sat down near Karasuba. Musubi, who seemed unbothered, sat between them. Naruto asked, "Uh... where's Yukari and Shiina?"

Matsu came around the table, giving Karasuba a wide birth. She sat next to Naruto. He felt her emotions through her touch as she curled her fingers around his hand. She was worried and extremely nervous. Naruto figured that was probably how all his Sekirei were feeling at the moment.

Tsukiumi took a seat as well, on the other side of the table. She seemed to have forgotten her desire to be intimate in favor of avoiding Karasuba. Matsu said, "They're still in the other room. They needed some space." She didn't say that they'd both been warned not to leave the room until Yukari had stopped torturing her poor soon-to-be Sekirei.

Naruto allowed his eyes to drift to the Sekirei to his right. Karasuba's cold eyes roamed around the room, calculating. He made a mental note to be wary of her. Even though he had won their little confrontation in the doorway, she was smart... maybe not as analytical as Matsu, but still... intelligent. And she might set a trap for him. Why else would she be here?

He waited a moment before asking Matsu, "Uh... where is Homura?"

Karasuba answered him as Matsu shrugged, "He was watching MBI Tower not long ago. He might have moved since then..."

Naruto considered this and then asked, "Let me guess. You made sure I'd be home before you came again."

She smiled, "Yes..."

He nodded and asked, "So then... why did you want to see me. I've pretty much been assuming that MBI wanted me gone, especially since we smacked around the rest of your squad today. And we've been in your way a number of times already."

There was a sharp intake of breath around the table and Matsu nudged him warningly. He ignored her and kept his eyes on Karasuba. She seemed to be thinking on how to answer. Eventually she sighed. Then she looked him in the eye. "I have a few goals Ashikabi-kun. First is to defeat my old rival, second is to become the strongest Sekirei alive, and third is to find my Ashikabi."

Her eyes narrowed, "However... my old rival is no more... and there is currently no way for me to surpass those Sekirei who are still stronger than me. Therefore... my third goal is actually the closest to being fulfilled."

Around the room Naruto's Sekirei had frozen. Even Musubi had gone still, her eyes darting to her right, studying her fellow Sekirei intently. Karasuba continued, "I dislike humans in general. They are weak, ugly, greedy creatures. And they have no place in this world. Few if any have the dubious honor of being kind either... I have found it to be... difficult to find a suitable Ashikabi. Those who are smart tend to be corrupted. Those who are attractive are too often weak... and those who are strong are usually weak minded..."

She smiled, "You... are smart enough to somehow avoid me for this long. You... are strong enough to hold your own against me and trounce my squad. And... you are kind enough to have attracted six Sekirei... You're even handsome."

Her words sank in. Naruto realized the exact reason for her tracking him down. _"Oh... damn... she actually hunted me down... because she likes me? What the...?!"_

Karasuba cursed under her breath as her phone rang loudly. Her face twitched as if she were on the verge of lashing out at something. Slowly... she reached in for her cell and answered it. For a few moments she did nothing as whoever was on the other end... gave her bad news.

Naruto could tell it was bad by the way her elegant hand were crushing the table to splinters. Her face remained neutral as the signal clicked out. She dropped the phone back into her pocket. He imagined the speaker on the other side of the line shivering at the blood lust that Karasuba was pouring into the air around her.

Then she closed her eyes and muttered something under her breath. Her head snapped to the side as she asked, "Where is the bathroom?"

Musubi shot to her feet, "This one will show you!"

Naruto blinked as they left. _"What the hell is happening?"_

 **ooo**

Karasuba stood in the bathroom, examining herself in the mirror. She had the blade of her katana... recently snapped, against her lips. With it she cleanly sliced along the underside of her bottom lip. Then she dropped the blade and used her fingernail to take hold of a thin layer of transparent material.

She pulled and it came free, peeling off her lips like a second skin. Then she had the blade again. She delicately inserted it into her mouth and moved it under her tongue where a tiny metallic device rested. She cut the skin it was attached to and pulled it out.

Blood filled her mouth for a moment, before her healing factor closed the miniscule wound. Beside her Musubi watched raptly. "Suba-sama? What is that?"

The Black Sekirei said, "This is a device that prevents a Sekirei from being winged. It injects a constant stream of chemicals... in conjunction with electrical signals to stop the DNA interchange between human and Sekirei. All of the Discipline squad had these. However only #8 and #1 kept them. I would wager that Miya still has hers." Karasuba looked down at the tiny device. This was what she'd requested. Offically she wasn't supposed to be able to use it again after it was extracted the first time… and then later recalibrated. But Takami had been willing to help her again on this score.

Musubi gaped at her, "Miya-sama can be winged?!"

Karasuba shrugged. "Beats me. She is the pillar. If she can be winged it would take an immensely powerful Ashikabi to do so. Above and beyond the power of your Ashikabi." She glanced at Musubi, "Even though Naruto is that strongest Ashikabi I've ever encountered..."

Her grey eyes grew less stormy for a moment as she asked, "Tell me... Is it always so... intoxicating to be near him?"

"What does Suba-sama mean by intoxicating? We can't get drunk off Naruto-sama."

Karasuba sweat-dropped. "You know what I mean. Does it always feel so pleasant to be around him?"

Musubi smiled, "Of course! Sometimes it's even better!"

Karasuba smiled to herself. If that was the case she would have to make him her Ashikabi. This burning feeling in her chest... and other areas was new and... good. She couldn't imagine what it would feel like to be winged.

 _"-Ahem!- Suba-chan! It's been a while."_

Karasuba froze. Someone had just spoken, right into her ear. She recognized the voice... a little too well. She bit her lip in agitation before putting her finger to her ear, activating the speaker that had been placed there.

"What is it?"

 _"_ _Oh… no need for the cold shoulder Suba-chan! I only wanted to know what you were doing!"_

She winced inwardly. That damned man knew where she was. She'd hoped that the distraction she'd made before coming would give her enough time to get her job done. But apparently Minaka was on edge. He was keeping a close eye on her now. _"_ _Damn it. He's going to insist I go now… Can I risk winging myself on Naruto first? Do I dare?"_

Minaka asked seriously, _"_ _I hope you weren't trying to escape or anything. That might carry consequences."_

"Of course not. I was only visiting a friend."

 _"_ _MY my… So my faithful hunter has friends does she? Why don't you come and help clean up that mess you made before things get out of control. Then we can go and talk to Natsuo. He's been complaining about how little control he has over you… After all he is in charge of the Discipline Squad."_

Karasuba froze, but anger quickly took over any fear she had for the madman who tried to control her. "Don't you _dare_ tell me to let that insect wing me. I will kill him before he gets within ten feet."

 _"_ _How violent Karasuba…You really are a dangerous one… All the more reason to come in before you accidently burn your bridges."_

She flinched. This was a dangerous game. Minaka could deactivate her remotely as long as she was unwinged. But once she winged herself she would be untouchable except by the Jinki or Miya. _"_ _I have to trick him into thinking that I'm coming so he won't cut his losses. I know he doesn't want me to be used against him and Naruto made it clear where he stands on the Sekirei plan… It's either Naruto, Natsuo, or death…"_

Minaka asked, _"_ _Do you still want those injections? If you do…come…Now."_

Karasuba closed her eyes and prayed that he wouldn't do the smart thing. _"_ _I'm on my way."_

 _"_ _GOOD! I'll see you soon then…. Don't get sidetracked now."_

She heard the bud in her ear turn off and she immediately left the bathroom. She had to wing herself now. _Now,_ before Minaka had the chance to deactivate her. _"_ _Don't you dare take this from me you maniac!"_

 **Ooo**

Naruto grumbled as Matsu tried to steal his food. He fended her off long enough for Miya to place a bowl in front of the starved redhead. She tucked in immediately while he resumed his eating. After a minute he turned to her. "What do you think Karasuba and Musubi-chan are up to? They've been gone a while…"

Matsu shrugged, "Matsu does not know. Perhaps she is cleaning herself up before eating."

He shook his head, "Karasuba doesn't strike me as the kind of person to care about her looks all that much. Either that or black really is her favorite color."

From the head of the table Miya stated cooly, "You're right on both counts."

"Oh… well, I guess black isn't too bad. At least it isn't pink." Naruto felt an image flash though his mind, causing him to cringe slightly. "Kind of reminds me of Sakura…"

Across the table Tsukiumi asked, "Who is this Sakura?"

Naruto opened his mouth to answer but stopped. All of a sudden he didn't know. The image was gone, leaving only the name and a vague sense of familiarity. He frowned, "I… I really don't know…" The feeling of having forgotten something was so powerful that it overwhelmed him for a moment. _"_ _Did I know someone by that name? I'm sure I did, but before now… I couldn't remember anyone by that name who I knew… What the hell? I swear that I knew someone named Sakura, but I can't even remember what she looked like now…."_

Stumped he attempted to find the memory again, but it was simply…gone.

The thunder twins shared a look, "You uh…don't know?" "How does that work? You just said her name."

He shook his head, "I don't know. I've been getting this weird feeling recently. It's like I remember something and then it's gone. It's happened a couple times now."

Matsu tilted her head to look at him, "Sound like amnesia."

Miya nodded, "I…does doesn't it. I suppose it will pass or it won't. There isn't any point in worrying over it. Perhaps this is simply a memory from when you were very young. Humans often lose track of thing that happened when they were children."

Naruto could accept that. It was plausible… He sighed and turned his attention to the sliding door as it cracked open. Karasuba paced around the table quickly, Musubi following behind her quickly. Everyone watched her cautiously. Miya gave her a cold glare which was ignored.

Karasuba stopped in front of him. He twisted around, "Uh…something up?"

She nodded, "I apologize for being abrupt but…"

"But wha…!?"

Miya, Tsukiumi, and Akitsu all shouted as Karasuba dropped down next to him and bringing her lips to his. His eyes went wide as she kissed him roughly, nearly bruising his lips.

"WHAT ART THOU DOING TO MY ASHIKABI!?"

"Get off him!"

"Karasuba…REMOVE yourself from NARUTO this INSTANT!"

But the damage was done. Naruto shuddered as he let himself accept her kiss. She deepened it, pushing him sideways before he steadied himself. Black wings tore free of her back as their bond was forged. She closed her eyes and melted into him, the pleasure of first contact too much for her to handle… Her core heated up and her chest exploded with butterflies. Fingers tangled in his hair and sought out greater warmth as she felt her Sekirei core flare dangerously. She opened her eyes to see Naruto's crystal blue orbs as she pulled back slightly. _"_ _To late Minaka… I have my Ashikabi. My life is no longer yours to play with."_

Karasuba smirked as Naruto let out a breath. "Well, that was a bit sudden…"

She nodded but felt the need to finish her part. "This is the blade of my pledge… Exterminate the sworn enemies of my Ashikabi…"

Naruto turned slightly to see the expressions of his Sekirei. The twins were frozen stiff with chopsticks halfway to their mouths. Tsukiumi sat there with her jaw working, but no sound came out. Akitsu was giving Karasuba a chilling stare that matched the rapidly dropping temperature in the room. Matsu looked quite unaffected, although her eyes were a bit wider than usual.

It was Musubi who broke the silence. "Naruto-sama has a new Sekirei! Yay!"

Naruto and Karasuba glanced at each other and then they both looked at Miya as a loud snap sounded. Her sweet smile was twitching along with one eyebrow. Her chopsticks were splinters and her jaw was set so hard they could almost hear her teeth grinding together. As they watched a violently shifting purple aura poured from her, invading the room and sending shivers down everyone's spines.

Turning back to Karasuba Naruto said, "I think this is the part where we run away."

The Black Sekirei took one last look at Miya before deciding that just this once…she could swallow her pride if it meant living through the next few moments.

The sound of steel being drawn hissed through the house as Miya's sword seemed to magically appear in her hands.

Naruto and Karasuba darted for the door, Miya hot on their heels.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

 **And you must solemnly swear… to … REVIEW! Yeah I know you've heard this all before but really, what do you think us writers live off of, sunshine and daydreams?**

 **Ok… never mind. I just got a really bad image thinking about that. But seriously, review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Yeesh…! It's been a while since I last updated this fanfic. Sorry for the long delay and the lame excuse, but I plead life! I know it's overused but none the less true. In addition to that I've had a very hard time recently deciding the direction in which I wanted the rest of the story to go.**

 **Originally I was planning on introducing Karasuba much later and well, you can plainly see how all that went. Oh I was swept away on the tide of my own story as us writers sometimes are when we aren't following a set script. Suffice to say this won't change the overall destination of the story, just how we will get there.**

 **To put it in layman's terms, Karasuba will play a bigger roll… sooner. I know Yay! But I'm not completely sure how much you all like her. Personally she's my third favorite character in Sekirei along with Akitsu and Takami. (Sounds weird but she'd be an awesome mom… a bit scary at times but who has a kickass mom like that)**

 **Anyway, I'm getting away from the point. There is a story to read is there not? Alright my loyal readers, Onward!**

 **(I still don't own any part of Naruto or Sekirei)**

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Naruto panted and bent over, massaging the cramp in his side. Beside him Karasuba wasn't too much better. She leaned against a café's wall breathing hard. It was a full minute before either of them recovered. They'd had to push themselves to the very edge to avoid Miya's wrath, which while mostly aimed at Karasuba, wasn't limited to her. If she'd had half the chance Naruto would be a bloody pulp.

Gasping he stood straight and looked Karasuba in the eyes, "Ok….ok, please explain to me what the hell is going on between you and Miya. I knew she didn't like you… I mean _really_ despised you, but she was really trying to _kill_ you back there! If she'd actually been calm and collected… you'd be dead. And probably me too!"

Karasuba took a moment in answering.

"She believes that I'm responsible for her husband's death."

Naruto froze… "Okay…that's not good…. Please tell me she's mistaken. I'm sure she'll eventually cool down and stop trying to turn me into a red stain on the wall, but it sounds like she'll kill you the next time she sees you…" He paused, "And on another topic, why did you kiss me like that? Couldn't you have played nice with Miya for a while before doing it? You know…. Politics and all that."

"I would have been deactivated if I hadn't." She smiled bitterly, "Minaka makes sure that he has control over this game of his… If it wasn't for my…reputation, I'd have already been winged forcefully."

"By who?"

She explained, "A _man_ by the name of Natsuo." Karasuba saw the confusion on his face and explained further. "He is the Ashikabi of the rest of the Discipline Squad. The two you fought earlier today are his Sekirei. Haihane and Binitsubasa."

He nodded. "Those two huh? I knew they were with the Discipline Squad, but I didn't know who was in charge."

Karasuba regained her breath fully and straightened. "They're both weak in the grand scheme of things, but they have actual combat training. Not enough to beat you as they were only trained for a short time because of their innate power. But more than enough to handle other Sekirei with no training at all. It's part of their job to clean up large disturbances and to patrol the borders."

"But I'm pretty sure I knocked them into seventh heaven with my girls helping. That pink haired girl was almost torn apart by my wind attack and the bandaged one was hit with a water dragon and frozen solid. I don't see how they can be considered strong."

She smiled warmly. "I might point out Naruto-kun. You have not one, but three single numbers. And the others are still powerful by normal standards. And if I'm not mistaken, there is a small training yard behind the Inn. Your Sekirei haven't been idle like most."

"Huh? I was pretty sure I had four now, both in the numbers sense and the literal sense."

Karasuba smirked. "That you do… but may I ask what we are to do now? I cannot return to your home for some time and even then I'm risking my head. Even winged, Miya is more than a match for me. Even you are putting yourself in range of her anger at this point."

"Good thinking. Actually I was wondering about your reputation just now."

"In what way?" She was curious what her new Ashikabi had in store for her on their first day.

"Well, A few things. First I need a good sized apartment outside of Izumo Inn. It isn't that I don't like it there, but I'm getting tired of her uh… rules." He rubbed a bruise on the back of his head from their escape which was only now fading. "And that requires more money than I have at the moment." He scratched his chin thinking. "I was imagining that you could take me into see mom. That way you can get a replacement for your blade and I can get some actual funds to work with. Honestly I'm living with eight on a salary for one half."

She raised an eyebrow. "You seem to be doing remarkably well by the way. Still I don't think it would be wise or easy to go into MBI right now, but I suppose I could call Takami to bring me a replacement blade."

"And what about money? I have a big lump of gold on the desk back at the Inn, but that isn't exactly an option right now…." Naruto reached inside for his wallet, pulling it open to reveal its meager contents. "And I've got 5000 yen to last us from now…. until Miya calms down."

"I'll admit that isn't much….." Karasuba shrugged. "I suppose I should do it now before it's put off line."

"Do what?"

Karasuba pulled out a black credit card from her pocket. "This is a MBI expense card given to those of a certain rank within the corporation. As the former head of the Discipline Squad, I was issued this. It has effectively an infinite amount of money on it with zero percent interest."

Naruto grinned. "Well….. I suppose I can bring myself to go on a shopping trip at MBI's expense. Do you think a penthouse suite would be appropriate for out little group?"

One silver eyebrow rose. "Why of course. Only the best for my Ashikabi."

He stepped forward and kissed her. Surprised, she returned it, pushing back hard and wrapping her arms around his neck. Her nails scratched down under his jacket as she tried to dominate the kiss. A second later he withdrew smiling. "I'm beginning to find that you and I think along the same lines. You should have found me earlier."

"Indeed…. However…"

Naruto saw her expression become serious. "However what?"

"Suites have beds and I refuse to allow such an opportunity pass with my new Ashikabi. As long as you and I are alone… I won't have to deal with the rest of your girls attempting to get in the way."

He looked into her hungry grey eyes. "Man… you drive a hard bargain."

"Shut up… I just want _my_ alone time with my Ashikabi."

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Takami Sahashi glowered down at her assistant once more before sending him from the room. She was tired. Oh so fucking tired of Minaka's games. Apparently the fool had gotten a wild hair to buy every single hair salon in Japan. Why? She had no possible way of knowing and she didn't want to. It was simply another facet of his ever expanding madness. How he imagined that she might be interested in heading up this new series of business acquisitions, she had no idea. She had less interest in the hair care business then she did in the video game industry.

So in her mind there were two possible reasons that Minaka was insisting she waste her time doing something so utterly pointless. #1: He was simply delving deeper into the realm of insanity. #2: He wanted her to be focused on something else while he did something he knew she'd raise hell about.

And judging from the fact that today she'd received a grand total of two emergency calls from him when the average was more like two "per hour" it meant he was up to something. There for she mentally clicked option two and did was she did best.

Delegate.

She gave all of her useless subordinates something to do that was almost as useless as they were while she tried to get a sneak peek into what the crazy lunatic was doing upstairs to screw with the world.

Her phone rang.

Takami grumbled to herself, annoyed. The last five phone calls she'd received from outside the tower had all been bad news, quickly followed by double sized servings of worse news. She withdrew the cell from her pocket and glanced at the screen. She was pleasantly surprised to see her son's number. Takami tapped the button to answer and raised the cell to her ear. "Hello Naruto. How's my favorite son doing?"

Naruto answered, _"Well… It really depends on your point of view mom."_

"Okay I'll bite. What happened this time?"

" _Um…. You see there was some trou…."_

"MS. SAHASHI!"

She growled inwardly. "One sec Naruto-kun. Some idiot is shouting at me. I thought I got the message across last time so it must be important. Gimme a sec."

A moment later someone burst into the room. It was a tall blond man with dark eyes and a trimmed goatee. Takami recognized him as the man she'd put in charge of overseeing Natsuo's movements and actions. In addition to which, he'd recently been tasked to look over all the recent wingings within the city and take notes of the significant ones. Seeing how the man previously assigned to that task was currently _indisposed_ to complete his duties

Don't ask.

"What is it Alex?"

He gasped a bit and then regained a semblance of his composure. "Ms. Sahashi…. #4 Karasuba has just been winged."

Takami nearly dropped the cell in shock. On the other side of the line Naruto asked, _"Mom? Is everything ok there?"_

She let out a long shuddering breath and prayed for the poor soul of whoever Karasuba had decided was her chosen one. Honestly the man would need it if he wanted to retain use of all his limbs. Then she answered her son wearily, "Yes everything is just peachy. I just found out that the most bloodthirsty Sekirei in the whole group was just winged. I just hope she doesn't kill the poor man…." Takami paused. "Then again I don't think there's a man alive she'd approve of. Maybe it's a woman like #10."

The line cut out for a second and Takami asked, "Naruto? You alright?"

" _I must say Takami… I'm most…_ _ **disturbed…**_ _Your comment about my sexual interests was uncalled for. And as a matter of fact, I've found someone "male" who is perfect for me."_

Her blood ran cold as her eyes snapped to Alex who was stepping forward with a report paper. She snatched it from his hands with the ferocity of a pit viper. Her eyes scanned down the document to find two pictures. First was Karasuba…. It showed a fourteen year old girl instead of her current picture as she disliked cameras for some unidentifiable reason. She'd killed a dozen men before they'd given up acquiring a current profile picture… For some reason Minaka found it humorous to withhold proper satellite footage for the purpose of documentation.

And one the other side of her picture was none other than Naruto Sahashi.

"Dear god."

Karasuba's voice came through on the back end of a dark chuckle. " _Ara ara… Never took you for the religious sort Takami."_

"Naruto… please tell me that you have taken up impersonation as a hobby and you're currently at Izumo inn drinking tea with Miya."

Naruto's voice came through. " _Actually I'm standing in line at a bank on the west side of the city. Uh… on the hobby thing. No… I'm not doing impersonations. Suba-chan is with me. She was just messing with you…. Although on that note Miya did try to kill us earlier…"_

"Fuck… just kill me now….."

" _I'm sure I could… arrange that Takami, if you're serious. Though, something gives me the idea that Naruto-kun wouldn't approve."_

" _Damn right I wouldn't approve! And what's up with you and killing anyway? Shouldn't you be thinking about people who are worth your time?"_

" _I suppose your right… but seeing how you're one of the few people near my level that doesn't actually surpass me, that doesn't leave many options. Who would you suggest I kill?"_

" _Uh…. I don't know…. Wait! Um… damn I don't know his name…."_

" _Describe."_

" _Uh funny hair, sword, yellow scarf."_

" _Oh…. You think I should go after Mutsu huh? Actually that isn't a bad idea. I despise his Ashikabi too so it would serve two purposes…."_

"Will you two stop fucking with me!? I know you're doing it on purpose!"

Naruto chuckled. _"I was just getting revenge for all the times you used that demon mask thing when I was little."_

Karasuba's own chuckle was much darker. _"If I knew this would unbalance you so well Takami I would have winged your son the moment he arrived. This is the most fun I've had in ages."_

Takami closed her eyes as a migraine set in. Her son. Her _only_ son had winged the most dangerous woman out of 108 different Sekirei. He'd… claimed the most psychopathic Sekirei she'd ever encountered…. And it seemed….. Well to put it bluntly, it seemed as though they were getting along grandly. Better even then he'd been with his first Sekirei. She honestly didn't know whether to be proud, terrified, or somewhere in between. _"Or maybe thankful that she didn't kill him instead."_ She rubbed at her temple before dipping her hand into her coat pocket for her trusty pack of cigs. "So… what did you want Naruto? Beside's to give your poor mother a heart attack?"

" _Oh right! I.. uh, kinda broke Suba-chan's sword so she needs a replacement. I didn't think that just any sword would work for a Sekirei as strong as her so I thought you'd have one."_

Takami let out a breath. "I don't know what to say about that….. You… _broke_ her sword. _How_? "

" _She tried to impale me so I grabbed it and snapped it in half."_

"Oh… That makes sense when I consider Karasuba's temperament."

Karasuba's icy tone came over the connection. _"Exactly what do you mean by_ _ **temperament?**_ _"_

"Nothing, nothing at all. I am simply stating you have an odd way of greeting others that is often fatal."

" _Hey! I was right! You did have a habit of killing people when you first meet."_

" _What do you mean by_ _ **did**_ _? Do your imagine I'm going to stop because you're my Ashikabi?"_

" _Killing people no. Killing people for no reason yes. And just because someone annoys you doesn't mean you get to lop their head of."_

"… _.You're no fun."_

Takami replaced her pack of cigarettes wondering if the world would survive Naruto and Karasuba. She could practically hear Karasuba pouting. _Pouting._ Her, Karasuaba…. She sighed. "Will you two stop bickering? I'll send someone to drop off a sword… In fact I'll send three. One for each of you and an additional replacement. On another matter I've been thinking that you might need some financial assistance seeing how your Sekirei tally is at what? Seven?"

" _That would help. We were just about to get some use out of Suba-chan's MBI card before Minaka disables it."_

She nodded. "Good idea. I'll make sure another one makes its way to you… And it won't get disabled. Just remember that it won't do direct cash withdraws."

" _I know that already."_

"Okay, now is there anything else you need?"

" _Well, as a matter of fact…."_

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

A loud beep interrupted Naruto as he drew the black MBI card across the scanner. He grinned and shrugged his shoulders. Behind him Karasuba was smiling like a cat that just ate a canary.

"Well… That certainly lasted a lot longer than I expected."

The clerk gave him a meaningful look and then glanced at the groceries still on the checkout counter. Naruto pulled out his wallet again and paid with cash. The man just nodded and started bagging food. Naruto glanced back at Karasuba. "So Suba-chan, are we heading back to the apartment for the rest of the day? Or is there something else you wanted to do?

"I need to kill something….. How about we dump the groceries and go hunting for Mutsu."

The clerk, still backing groceries, went pale and bagged faster while making sure his eyes didn't meet Karasuba's even indirectly. Naruto sighed. "We're going to have to find something to occupy you other than cutting people into little chunks. I can't have you running around killing everyone and their second cousin ya know."

Karasuba smirked. "Oh really?"

"Really."

"Hm… on that topic, there was something I wanted to ask you."

He raised an eyebrow and took the grocery bags that the clerk had pushed towards him. Both of them turned and began to walk towards the exit. "And what's that?"

Karasuba eyed him with a confused look. "Do tell me if I'm mistaken, but you're handling my personality rather well. I was only half teasing when I threatened Takami earlier. And something tells me that you knew. Also… in general you're remarkably relaxed around me. Something only…. three people in this world ever were. Those people are Minaka, Takehito, and Yume."

"Yume?"

A sour look crossed her face. "The previous leader of the Discipline Squad. She was #8."

He nodded. "Oh." Naruto sighed. "I don't know how to put it. It's just that I feel like I connected with you better than the others. I couldn't tell you why for the life of me. I've never really been a violent person. I enjoy sparing these days, but I didn't use to. Honestly a lot's changed since Minaka messed with my genes."

She stopped just as the automatic doors opened to allow them to leave. "He what?"

"I can't remember any of it, besides meeting him. I just remember waking up at Izumo inn later. Homura was the one who found me lying on a street side somewhere. After that I found out that I was super strong and fast. My reflexes were increased and I had Sekirei powers. A little while after that I went to MBI's main hospital where mom ran a bunch of tests. Turns out Minaka awakened the ancient Sekirei blood lying dormant inside me."

"So… you're more Sekirei than Ashikabi."

"Basically… yeah."

Karasuba looked somewhat disturbed. "Is there anything else strange that happened to you? Tell me Naruto. Minaka enjoys messing with people's minds as much as their bodies. I myself have been subject to…. alterations. I wasn't always _this_ aggressive."

Naruto noted that she seemed unreasonably disturbed at the thought of Minaka hurting 'her' Ashikabi. He nudged her and they exited the store, heading out side and down the street towards their newly rented apartment. Karasuba kept shooting strange looks at him and Naruto didn't know what to say. He'd had a sneaking suspicion that something was wrong for a while now. He simply couldn't put a finger on it. Struggling, Naruto tried to put it into words.

"It's just…. I feel.. I feel like something is missing. You know what I'm saying. Like there's something in the back of your mind that keeps pushing forward at weird times and then it's just _gone_ , like it never was. I mean, just today while you were in the bathroom I was thinking about something. I can't remember what, and out of the blue it reminded me of Sakura."

"Who's that?"

"THAT'S IT!? I have no freaking clue who she is or what she looks like or how she acts or where I've met her before! And when I first met Homura I would _swear_ that I met him before somewhere, but it's impossible since I didn't even live in the city before. I only came here to enroll in school." Naruto dragged his fingers through his hair agitated from trying to dredge up all the little things that had triggered memories for him

"It it possible that these are dormant memories?"

Naruto shook his head. "NO. I've always had a good memory. I can remember most if not all of my childhood. There aren't any significant gaps anywhere. And certainly not since I've been involved with the Sekirei plan. Miya suggested that I had amnesia, but that isn't possible except for that one time with Minaka…. And it only lasted a few hours at most so there isn't anything to go on."

"I mean unless I've got a ton of false memories implanted in my brain, but that wouldn't make any sense. Mom would know about it. And if she did it to me then she'd have done it to Yukari too." Naruto glanced at Karasuba. "Has Minaka ever done or said anything to suggest he was interested in the subconscious and memory?

She dropped her chin in thought. "Not recently. When I was… little. I think maybe six years old he would take all of the original members of the Discipline Squad and teach us about history, science, math etc… Back then he was much more… hands on in his approach to these games. That changed quickly. If my recall is accurate, then he began his study into Sekirei brain structures about that time. He was trying to create an AI based off the Sekirei brain. As far as I know, that's the only time he'd committed himself to the subject."

Karasuba sighed. "The rest of the time he shifts from subject to subject faster than #2 can hack an unguarded computer system."

Naruto grumbled to himself. "Yeah I suppose you're right. But now that you've mentioned it, the damn idea that I've forgotten something is going to eat at me."

"Perhaps we should go see Takami in person when the situation allows it."

"Yeah. Good idea."

They continued down the street for a ways before they came to a halt. Both of them felt a tangible sense of danger. Or at least a mild sense of annoyance. Naruto turned immediately to see what was coming while Karasuba just stopped and looked over her shoulder. Neither of them saw anything until both heard a roar from above.

Naruto's head snapped up as Karasuba turned around fully. Naruto saw a pink and black blur approaching at terminal velocity. Both of them quickly leaped back as the blur smashed into the ground, which split apart under the tremendous impact. Naruto recognized who it was. The pink haired girl from the Discipline Squad. One of the two who went after his sister. However she should have been gravely injured still. And she wasn't.

Naruto growled, "Great, now you come snooping around again. What do you want?!"

She stood up from the large crater she'd created and glared at him. "YOU! You STOLE KARASUBA! MY ASHIKABI WAS GOING TO WING HER!" Her fists clenched and her eyes flashed crimson. **"DO YOU KNOW HOW PISSED THAT MAKES ME!?"**

Naruto turned to Karasuba, "Um… Suba-chan? What's her name?"

His Sekirei shrugged and crossed her arms. "Her name doesn't matter. She's weak. I don't feel the need to even speak to her now that I'm your Sekirei."

" **BITCH!"**

Turning on his heel, he moved over to Karasuba. "Would you mind making sure our dinner doesn't get destroyed then? I'd rather not spend what little we have left until mom can get me more money."

"Of course. Do beat her into submission Naruto-kun."

"And you thought I was going to do something else? Besides… she reminds me of someone. Maybe this'll help me remember something important."

She nodded and stepped back to watch. Naruto cracked his knuckles and faced his opponent, eager to beat some memories out of her. A month ago he might have questioned the sudden surge of bloodlust, but he blew it off as Karasuba's influence…. Not taking into account that she'd only been with him for part of a day. All the same… he was looking forward to _dealing_ with this interruption.

He shouted, "You heal pretty fast pinky!"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" She screamed, making him smile.

"Would you prefer I call you….. _Forehead?"_

"What was that?" Her own knuckles cracked ominously as she stepped out of the crater and walked towards him.

"Well aren't nicknames based of physical features sometimes?" Naruto grinned, baring his teeth. He didn't know why but suddenly a whole laundry list of insults had popped into his head…. And they all seemed to fit this Sekirei rather well. In fact… something about her was extremely familiar. He frowned suddenly. "Have I met you before? You know, before I kicked your ass earlier."

"OH! I am so KILLING you!"

She lunged forward her fist outstretched to smash his head in. He ducked to the side and kicked her shin hard, throwing her momentum off and sending her crashing to the ground. He laughed, "You can try _Billboard-brow!"_

Regaining her feet again she whirled and threw a barrage of punches towards him. Naruto evaded the clumsy strikes. She was strong, but she was slow. He wondered if he could force the wind to bow to his will again like he'd done protecting Yukari. _"Only have to try!"_ An image of Akitsu came to mind, frozen in place with a single drop of blood marring her perfect features. Naruto growled again and let her catch him with a blurring uppercut. He jumped backwards with the movement and closed his eyes, feeling the wind's around him and _seeing_ them shift. He twisted in mid air and, in a flash of inspiration, clapped his hands together hard, angling them towards her and amplifying the resulting wave of air.

She barely moved in time to dodge the huge crescent shaped blade of wind as it slashed a jagged furrow through the cement sidewalk and cut though the wall beside it with ease. Naruto landed, already sending another one in her direction.

She didn't dodge in time.

"FUCK?!"

His wind attack bit deeply into her stomach and knocked her back in a spray of blood. Naruto realized that with her recovery time from the injuries sustained earlier in the day, such a wound wouldn't keep her down for long. He dashed forward, sending his power into a gentle breeze that blew past her legs.

A scream rent the air as the wind blade cut straight through skin and muscle, and into bone. His opponent collapsed with another scream… and a gasp as she hit the ground. Crimson was seeping quickly from the deep lacerations. Naruto knew just by looking that he'd damaged or severed the artery. And yet… even as he approached, the blood was slowing down to a trickle and stopping. _"She must have a really high regeneration factor like me, just not quite as good. I'd already be up again if it was just a deep slash. I guess that's one of the reasons she on the Discipline Squad."_

She forced herself to a sitting position as he stopped in front of her. Her eyes were burning with rage, the pain seeming to be completely ignored. Naruto examined her better.

This Sekirei was short… and for lack of a more fitting term… flat. He literally couldn't discern that she had any tits at all…. Hell, his sister's Sekirei was more gifted then this girl. She was also compact. Her body was quite tomboyish now that he was close. The pink hair and the attitude just screamed… _someone._ He knew that he'd met her… or someone like her, or knew them well. It was slowly driving him crazy.

A glob of blood was spat out at his feet as she cursed. "Baka…. Should have watched out for that shitty wind attack this time around."

It triggered the memory again. _"Sakura… She reminds me of Sakura… I don't know why or who she is, but for some reason I just know that she is like her. Fuck…! Why can't I figure this out in my head?!"_ He gritted his teeth as she struggled to move. It was annoying him to no end that he simply couldn't remember something as easy as a face to match the name he had.

"Baka… Baka… I'm so going to beat the ever loving crap out of you once I get up."

His eye twitched and he gave her a heavy kick to the chin, snapping her head back with a crack. She flopped back unconscious. Naruto grimaced and stooped, taking the set of hand cuffs from her belt and putting them around her wrists, synching them tight. Then he threw her over his shoulder and stood, moving to Karasuba's side.

"What are you planning on doing with her?" she queried.

"No clue. She keeps triggering my memory, so she's coming with. At least until my head clears up. If I don't remember who Sakura was I'm going to tear my hair out. I HATE this feeling of something missing."

Karasuba's voiced betrayed something akin to concern as she asked, "How long are you willing to keep her around if she doesn't cause any important recollections?"

He growled, "Don't know."

She glanced at him. _"I can feel what he's feeling right now. He's just as frustrated now as I was at Yume. He doesn't like losing control. Hm…. I didn't realize he was like that. He seemed so relaxed with the others at the inn. And the way he fights… He wasn't playing around. He settled that fight quickly. And from the report on Benitsubasa's and Haihane's confrontation, once he showed up they were flattened in moments."_

Karasuba admired that about him. He'd already proved that he wasn't weak or stupid. Now he was proving that he had the guts to do what others were afraid to do. Sure he was more restrained than her… but just about everyone was.

"Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah?"

"How are we going to keep that one from waking up and attacking us again?"

He shrugged. "I assumed that those cuffs she had were made for Sekirei. Seeing how it wouldn't be much use putting them on normal civilians with how powerful you are."

"I wouldn't know. I never went on …. _retrieval_ missions."

"Ah… I get it. That was a joke."

She coughed lightly, "What did you think it was?"

"I thought you were saying that you didn't accept capture missions because you killed everyone you went after."

Karasuba blinked. "I blame my adjusters. They're the ones who taught me to be ruthless."

"Really? And here I thought you were a born fighter who lived only for combat."

"That is true to an extent. That is what I live for… but I am still a Sekirei. In essence I _live_ to find my destined one" Karasuba stepped closer to Naruto as they walked. To his surprise she slipped her arm around his free one. "One of my goals has been fulfilled. I think you already know… I fight for you now. I simply have to hope your challenges are great…" She leaned in to whisper in his ear, _"So I can cut them down…."_

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Sweat. Drops of sweat were beading in his hair line and trickled down his forehead. It gathered on the tip of his nose as he finished reading the computer screen. "Karasuba… Damn… This is more troublesome than I first anticipated.

Higa Izumi gritted his teeth as he finished reading the message from the mole he had in MBI's management. This was bad news. He was losing his competitive edge and he knew it. Out of the four major players in the city, occupying the area East of MBI tower he had the second largest number of Sekirei, with over a dozen. However he knew that wasn't going to count for much if the newly dubbed "Northern Ashikabi" kept collecting extremely powerful Sekirei.

"Karasuba… #4. And she'd only his most recent acquisition. He also has #2 Matsu, #7 Akitsu, who shouldn't have been possible to wing in the first place. He winged #9, #11, and #12. He's even in possession of one of the double numbers, #88, who's power is supposed to be able to rival a single number when she uses her Norito… Every one of his Sekirei could most likely take on two of mine and win."

It was disturbing that this Ashikabi had suddenly just popped up like this. "He's literally been off the grid as far as MBI went. And then in less than two weeks he has four single numbers… and _the_ single number. I personally assumed that Karasuba had already been winged by the Disciple Squad's Ashikabi. But it looks like I was wrong… and in the worst possible way. Now this wild card has possibly the most dangerous Sekirei in the game and I have no way of controlling him or curtailing his movements…"

Higa wiped his brow and swiveled in his chair to pick up his cell phone. He used speed dial to contact his assistant Kakizaki. The phone rang once and was picked up.

" _Yes? What is it sir?"_

"I want you to go to #10. There is some information I require with the upmost haste."

" _May I ask what it is?"_

"#4 was just winged… I need to find out who this man is. He goes by the name of Naruto. For some reason his last name was omitted from the files. I _need_ to know who he is and what he's doing…. And why he's doing them. Understood?"

" _Crystal. I'll be right on it."_

Higa hung up and dropped him cell on the table next to him. He leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping in thought. _"I need to find some way to turn this around before things spiral out of control. It's already bad enough with that Fool Minaka making an Alliance with the Southern Ashikabi… A second hostile Ashikabi is the last thing I need… and unfortunately the Western Ashikabi has no interest in helping me… and thus far he seems impervious to blackmail….."_

Higa grimaced and say up, speaking to the only other person in the room. "Toyotama… Get to the north. I want you to watch for _anything_ suspicious, but keep your search circumspect. No fights unless you're certain of victory… and absolutely no battles with Sekirei belonging to the Ashikabi known as Naruto."

"Yes Higa-sama. I'll be back before you know it."

He nodded as she swept out of the room, the large door hissing closed behind her. Higa closed his eyes and wiped at his forehead, despising the fact that an unknown entity could invoke fear in him. _"This should be over soon with three separate pairs looking for him… How hard can it be to find someone with seven recorded Sekirei?"_

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Karasuba sat in Naruto's recently purchased apartment. It was luxurious, even more than she was accustomed to. The entire place had three large lavish bedrooms, two huge baths, a massive main living room as well as a second 'slightly' smaller one. It had four-'teen' storage closets in addition to the closet in each bedroom…. The list went on and on… However at this moment she sat in the superbly equipped kitchen with her Ashikabi.

Only moments before she'd bore witness to the most heated argument she'd see in her life. One blond Ashikabi having a no holds barred shouting match to rival the gods. Naruto certainly didn't know how to interrogate Benitsubasa… All he really needed to do was sick her on the girl. Benitsubasa was scared shitless of her.

But no… he decided to take it upon himself to whip the info out of the pinket. It worked to… eventually. Benitsubasa caved after two hours. Karasuba honestly didn't know how Naruto could stand to argue down to such meaningless and minute points with anyone. She would have just cut Benitsubasa's hand off and been done with that.

Apparently her Ashikabi wasn't opposed to taking the long way around this time.

That being said, they hadn't gotten much of anything real out of her, although Naruto seemed to be marginally pleased by something. His small victory must have come with some memories, seeing how she didn't know anything more than she had about MBI. But as of yet he hadn't told her what he learned from Benitsubasa.

"Naruto? May I ask you something?"

He looked up, his eyes questioning. "Yeah. Go ahead. You don't have to ask permission or anything."

"I usually wouldn't, however I was under the impression that you found out something personal in your memories… form the 'interrogation'. Am I right?"

A foxy grin spread his lips. "You could say that. I finally remembered just _who_ Sakura was. It's just…" A frown marred his face. "It doesn't match. What I remember about… Sakura doesn't even come close to incorporating correctly with what I… well…." His frown turned confused as though he was still having a hard time connecting things in his head. "It's like I'm remembering things that happened in someone else's life, but from a first person perspective. Like it's me remembering but I'm in someone else's body. Can you understand that?"

"No."

"Ah…. Yeah, kinda figure you wouldn't. It's so annoying. I know that this Sakura girl.. I think I liked her at one time. Maybe even a crush. I remember being fond of her. And I can remember that he last name was… _Haruno_ now. I know she had a bad temper and a short fuse. I know she was a good fighter and for some reason I think she was stronger than Benitsubasa… but that can't be true can it? That would have to make her a Sekirei too and Tsukiumi-chan is the first Sekirei I ever met."

Karasuba sighed and rested her head on her hands, glancing around the kitchen. "Perhaps this is some dream you had?"

"No… That isn't it. It's too real. I remember…." A blank look suddenly crossed his face. "… a village…. And.. KAKASHI!" Naruto left to his feet, the stool he was sitting on crashing to the floor behind him. "I remember someone else. There was a guy called Kakashi who I knew… and I remember him being with Sakura somehow… like they were standing together…. for a picture or something."

Naruto paced around the table, his eyes not quite seeing the kitchen. He was desperately trying to delve further into whatever lost memories had surfaced… She watched him, her own heart beating faster through their connection. She wanted her Ashikabi to be remember. It would give her pleasure to see his face light up in recognition… to know he'd found a part of himself he'd lost. _"I don't know why… but it makes me… pleased simply to see him like this…"_

Karasuba realized she was smiling widely, not sadistically either, but an honest smile… And for some reason she couldn't force her features back to a neutral expression. It was just impossible to lose this stupid grin.

"…that's it…"

She blinked as she realized Naruto had halted in his steps. His blank look was gone, replaced by astonishment.

"I can't believe I forgot…" Naruto's hands suddenly came together in a strange sign and Karasuba felt a huge surge of power around her Ashikabi, streams of azure energy manifesting around him like tendrils of blue fire. "Shadow Clone jutsu…"

Naruto was suddenly engulfed in a plume of white smoke.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Hikari and Hibiki shared a glance as they helped wash the dishes from the… somewhat less than pleasant meal. Neither of them knew what to do… or even what to think. Sekirei #4, the Black Sekirei had… winged herself on their Ashikabi and then… along with him… fled Miya's wrath.

This of course left all of his other Sekirei in a state of disarray. The twins themselves weren't even the worst affected. No… Akitsu and Tsukiumi were suffering the worst, mainly because of their already extremely possessive natures. Both the water and ice wielding Sekirei had been inconsolable for the last hour or so. Akitsu was under the impression that the 'dominatrix' was going to steal most of Naruto's time away from them… if she brought him back at all. And Tsukiumi was going into shock, thinking Naruto had hightailed it without any consideration for her.

Well that was true to a certain extent. At the time he was more occupied with keeping his head on his shoulders than preserving her feelings.

But at any rate, things were quite tense inside mansion Izumo at the moment. With Musubi and Matsu having retreated into the computer room, Akitsu and Tsukiumi in a semi-permanent sulk, and Miya wandering the halls like a temperamental dragon…. Well, they needless to say were felling slightly on edge.

Hikari finished washing the dishes and moved to rinse them off while her sister dried them. She nudged her with an elbow as they worked, keeping an eye on the open doorway. "Hey sis… do you think Naruto-kun will come back soon?"

"Probably not… He might call though.. That way he could tell us to meet some where without risking being caught by Miya-sama…"

"I know… I just wish he hadn't bolted right then."

"Me too, but there isn't much we can do. Is there? Miya doesn't seem to be calming down at all. Did you see her pacing earlier? And the way she sat there afterwards… just sharpening her sword over and over… and over….."

The twins let out a collective sigh and got back to finishing the dishes.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

"Naruto….. How did you do that?"

Karasuba sat, gaping at her blond Ashikabi and the perfect duplicate of himself which stood just a foot away… inspecting them. Naruto had, just a moment ago, disappeared in a great plume of smoke, only to be replaced by two. Two that is, of the same person…. Down to every last detail. She couldn't even differentiate between them using the newly formed bond.

"I'm not exactly sure."

"Me neither."

"But you're me."

"Yeah, I know that." The clone looked around the room, seeming every bit as confounded as Naruto himself was. "I'm your clone… I know that much."

Naruto… the real one… asked, "But how did I just create you?!"

"Well I don't know! I'm you! If you don't know then neither do I!"

Both of the blonds looked at each other with something akin to anger before the original threw up his hands. "Okay! So I can copy myself… even though I have no freaking clue how I did it. That's great. Yet another ability with no explanation."

Karasuba glanced between them again, her mind finally unfreezing enough to consider the advantages of such a technique. A small smile curled the corner of her lips as she asked. "Can your copy fight?"

"Of course I can!" The clone stepped to the side and threw a punch at the wall, gouging a six inch hole in the wood. He pulled back. "I can do anything the boss can. Or I mean… the original." The clone seemed momentarily confused. "Why did I call him boss?"

"Maybe because I'm the original."

"Right…." He sweat-dropped. "I don't… I'm really confused about myself right now. If you're the original.. and I'm a clone… and I can do everything you can, why are you the boss?"

Karasuba stood and walked over, smacking the clone with the back of her hand. He crashed into the wall before disappearing in a plume of smoke. She blinked and glanced at Naruto who was giving her a raised eyebrow. "I think that particular line of thought would be dangerous to go down for us.. so I thought to end him before he got it into his head he was the original." She explained rather contritely.

"Ow…" Naruto winced. "Well I just felt that smack so I think I got his memories when he died…. Wasn't counting on that…"

She nodded and moved over to him, checking to make sure the injury hadn't appeared on his body. She was glad when she found nothing. _"Good… that would be an inconvenient ability at best if it injured him when his clones were hit."_

"You appear to be uninjured. Maybe it was just the memory of pain…" Karasuba paused leaning in close. "Did you remember anything else? Maybe some other technique from your past… or a name or face?" She waited several moments as Naruto's expression twisted in concentration. Then a look of dawning comprehension appeared… instantly followed by a somewhat unnerving smile and a slight blush.

"I… don…" He blinked. "Wait… I do…..."

Naruto grabbed her by the front of her Discipline Squad uniform and dragged her into a fierce kiss, leaving her somewhat dazed. He wrapped his arms around her waist as he thanked her for the sudden inspiration she'd given him. Karasuba let her eyes flutter close as she deepened the kiss, her own hands descending to unbuckle his belt. A short burst of emotion shot across their link and she blushed hard. Naruto's sudden interest in physical contact making her head spin and her cheeks turn crimson.

Her jacket came off a split second later and Naruto was back peddling. Karasuba was pulling down the zipper on his jacket while her fingers unbuttoned his pants. She felt an unfamiliar heat between her legs… though she knew exactly what it was. And she wanted it this time. She didn't want the hot, burning sensation to disappear. She wanted… no.. needed Naruto to make it throb harder.

They parted. Naruto gasped, "I remembered…."

She slammed her lips back into his, her tongue forcing its way into his mouth. A grunt came from her Ashikabi and… _"Fuck…."_ One of his hands pulled the top of her dress down to caress her breast. The rough hand needing her flesh pleasurably. Her skin began to burn red and sweat trickled down the small of her back under her dress. She couldn't help but moan into his mouth and Naruto's manhood twitched in his pants…. Even as she was trying to pull them off completely.

Naruto's pants fell and she slipped her hand into his boxers, finding the hard organ with her slim fingers. She was rewarded a second later as she stoked him. His groan… almost like purr… came from his mouth as much as the link between them. He pulled back slightly, taking her lip between his teeth. Karasuba's eyes opened just in time for Naruto to rip her dress open. She didn't disapprove and moved to crush him against the wall. She moved her hands to the hem of the dress, giving it a good yank.

It fell away, leaving her in her undergarments… Naruto discontinued sucking on her lip… and leaned in to bite her throat. She gasped and melted against her lover, her large breasts pressing into his chest, and her hard nipples scratching over his skin. Pain and pleasure mixed as his sharper than average teeth all but pierced her unblemished skin… He marked her well before returning his attentions to her hot sweet mouth.

Karasuba's fingers curled around his rod again, squeezing as she disengaged from another heated kiss. Her lips trailed down his jaw to his strong neck.. and down to his chest. She bit him… hard, eliciting a twitch from his cock and a low moan from his lips. She smirked, but instantly let out a cry of ecstasy as Naruto's hands brushed her Sekirei mark. Then he pulled her back up to eye level. She shuddered in delight as Naruto's entire length slipped between her thighs, rubbing against her swollen lips, all that was separating them, a thin piece of fabric.

Naruto evidently thought it was time the barrier was gone because she had to bury her face in his chest as he pulled off her panties with a snap. The sharp sting brought even more color to her face, making her pant hard… She whimpered as Naruto's cock brushed her entrance. It was too much for her… She _needed_ him then… Needed him bad.

Her Ashikabi found Karasuba dropping to her knees in front of him. Then her hands hooked around the backs of his knees and she pulled.

Naruto dropped down the wall, landing with a thump on his ass. Karasuba was already between his legs, stoking him and nipping at his thighs. Her small sharp teeth leaving red marks that soon disappeared. He forced his eyes to focus as pink lips pressed to the tip of his penis…. Followed by a swift flick of a tongue.

Karasuba purred low in her throat. "I read… that men quite enjoy this… I expect you to return the favor afterwards…."

He nodded dumbly, only to let his head fall back as Karasuba took him into her mouth. The inside of her mouth was so… hot and…. "Fuck…. That feels good. You're better than the twins together….."

A small chuckled managed to escape her ministrations, Karasuba finding it rather amusing that she was doing better on her first time than two girls could together. She would have grinned, but… her Ashikabi's manhood was still in her mouth. She eyed her master as she bobbed her head, taking more and more of him inside her. The tip was hitting the back of her throat now… She would need to have a better angle to take more….

Naruto shouted in surprise as he was yanked back from the wall. He moaned as Karasuba… maneuvered herself around till they were in the 69 position… all without removing himself from her. Suddenly he felt his cock slide much deeper, bending slightly… going down her throat. Hot bolts of pleasure jolted up his spine, causing him to arch his back.

Then it was her turn to freeze as Naruto wrapped his arms around her thighs and buried his tongue in her snatch.

Karasuba moaned around his cock, the feeling of her wet folds being eaten out by Naruto…. amazing. Naruto on the other hand was forced to stop as the vibration around his manhood caused his body to tighten up… He could feel his climax building as Karasuba slowly, agonizingly withdrew, leaving his cock coated in her saliva.

With a pop she released him from her lips… Only for Naruto to let out a primal growl. She was too dazed to duck her head out of the way when his penis twitched, a dozen strings of white catching her in the face and neck.

She blinked and moved her finger to wipe some of it away… It took a few seconds for her to realize what it actually was… The books she'd read on the subject had been medical in origin and hadn't focused on it…. She brought it to her lips and licked it… Karasuba shivered in pleasure as she tasted it. Then she was cleaning her face of it quickly, guiding the remainder to her mouth.

She swallowed loudly and glanced back at her still recovering Ashikabi. Naruto's expression quite befit someone who had just had the most pleasurable moment of his life. It was a few seconds still before his blue eyes cleared and his head lifted.

Taking the cue he sent her, she flipped around to meet his gaze, her hips now pressing firmly against his. She could feel him hardening again.

"Does my master want more… or do I get my turn now?"

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

 **Phew… that was rough… Anyway, that lemon scene doesn't just cut off so keep your pants on… Er…. Off, which ever.**

 **A few things before I knock off on this chapter, I wanted to know your opinion. Is this fic moving along to slowly? Or perhaps too fast. Keeping in mind that plot wise we aren't even to episode 5. Seeing how Kusano hasn't even shown up yet.**

 **Also, several things for general knowledge, I accidentally deleted this chapter (which is why it took so long to get out above and beyond writing it) So I rage quit and didn't work on it for quite a while, instead working on Sealing Twilight and Hybrid's Game. But… I'm back and I'm looking for someone who is very knowledgeable about the Sekirei manga. Someone who could help me with a few important points since I've only watched the Anime. This job would involve serious spoilers to the plot so be warned if do want to help out.**

 **And lastly, a question that has been bothering me for a while… Why did Minaka, Takami, and Takehito all have their hair turn silver between finding the lost ship and creating the Sekirei plan? Does anyone have an idea?**

 **Anyway… that's all for now. Remember to review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm back again after a long absence on this story! Yay!**

 **Anyway lets get right into it since everyone is waiting!**

 **(As of yet I still do not own any part of Naruto or Sekirei)**

 _ **Chapter 9**_

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Akitsu shifted uncomfortably. Her cheeks were tinged an iridescent red and every few moments she would sigh quietly. She knew, like all off Naruto's Sekirei, that something was going on. Akitsu herself couldn't help but feel slightly cheated. Being his second Sekirei she believed that, logically, she should have been just that… Second. But it seemed that either her Ashikabi… or perhaps life its self… wanted her to wait.

So she waited… not blaming her Ashikabi. Of course not that! He was the very light of her life, the one who had saved her from a pointless existence! And not blaming Karasuba since she was merely fortunate to have the opportunity before herself. So who did she blame? Well… to put it bluntly she placed the blame squarely on Miya.

Why? Well if their landlady wasn't so stingy Naruto would surely have made love to her by now. Or, as Matsu repeatedly referred to it, a "hot and sticky exchange of DNA".

To this effect the Ice Sekirei sat in seiza position, observing Miya as she cleaned.

Okay… observing would have been the wrong word. Perfectly masked killing intent would have been a better description for what she directed at her landlady.

Miya, who was sweeping the floor in the living room, ignored her. She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she probably didn't even notice. Which was something that annoyed Akitsu to no end. She couldn't be angry at her master. She couldn't be angry at her sister-wife. She couldn't be angry at whatever deity prevented her Ashikabi from _screwing_ her…. But she'd be damned if she couldn't make Miya feel at least a little uncomfortable!

Beautiful silver eyes narrowed and a small smile graced soft lips as the temperature dropped fractionally every minute or so. As this happened the air behind Akitsu shimmered almost imperceptibly.

Miya's head jerked up with a snap and her serene expression was dropped like a fanged serpent. Her eyes focused on the ice wielding Sekirei. Akitsu wasn't looking at her. Her expression was perfectly calm… if a bit red. Though the most fractional of smiles seemed to hover about the corner of her mouth…

Miya's eyes narrowed in suspicion, but she put it out of her mind and continued to clean… unknowing of Akitsu's silent pride or the shapeless apparition which was hiding behind #7…. Just waiting to strike again.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Karasuba felt the strength leave her arms for the second time as hot waves of agony rolled up her spine. Pleasure arched her back so much that it physically hurt! And Naruto's tongue… "N..Naru..to!" Karasuba rasped his name hoarsely. Who knew he would be so… so.. GOOD! He was only…

She went limp on the bed, her arms folding under her as she collapsed. Sweat soaked her lithe form, dripping onto the white sheets of their bed. Karasuba tried to catch her breath and regain some semblance of control… only to lose herself again as her Ashikabi sucked harder at her swollen lips. Her power drained out of her even as Naruto inserted his tongue and curled it repeatedly. The rough sensation brushing her nerves and setting her on fire again.

Her thighs squeezed together, but were quickly stopped by Naruto's hands as he purred loudly. She moaned at the soft vibration. Her mouth opened and closed, though no words escaped. Then Naruto gave one last lick to her womanhood and trailed a line of bites up her toned belly to the undersides of her breasts.

He'd quickly found that she enjoyed the pain added in… And for his part he _enjoyed_ her cries as he marked her over and over again.

The feel of her skin was scorching against his own, even as they were drenched in sweat. It was intoxicating. He could feel her pleasure as an afterimage to his own, urging him to bring her to even greater highs.

Naruto gave a vulpine grin as he let his hard length prod her pussy, his hips carefully preventing him from entering her. It was torture… and he knew it. His Sekirei attempted to buck her own hips, but he drew back, biting down on one nipple. Karasuba gave a strangled moan and flopped backwards again. He chuckled inwardly as he played with her tits, rolling the bud between his teeth. He sucked on them in turn and only let go when she mustered the strength to push him away.

He looked down at her heaving body while her arms kept him as far away as she could manage. Naruto couldn't help but push forward, breaking through her locked arms easily. He kissed her hard, earning a small moan from her. The Black Sekirei allowed her Ashikabi to dominate her world, sending her back into another high arch as he let his hot member slide against her agitated lips.

This pleasure was oh so FUCKING good! Why hadn't she found him ages ago, made him hers and got him to torture her like this!? It was more than she could have imagined. Excruciating and blissful at the same time, making her want more and more! This was so worth pissing Miya off. If he did this to her every time she'd play Russian roulette with Miya twice a day!

"Ruto…sama…. Please! More!"

The blond Ashikabi growled and grasped onto her perfect breasts, squeezing hard enough to draw Karasuba up on her elbows. Her grey eyes locked on to his with a burning intensity as he leaned in close, strong hands still massaging her soft tits.

She grabbed him by his wrists. "Stop… screwing… around and FUCK… ME!" She shouted and moved his hands to her hips.

Naruto, who was still poised at her glistening entrance, obliged. Karasuba's next words were cut sharply off as Naruto thrust in without warning. She could only stare at him for a moment as they stayed like that, joined at last. Her pink lips formed a perfect O as she lay there.

He pulled back then, feeling the soft insides of his woman slide against his own. She was tight… So very tight. The only reason it didn't hurt was because of how wet she was, her juices making entrance almost effortless.

"Mmm… Suba-chan…" He leaned down burying his face in the crook of her neck as he levered his hips forward, pushing back in slowly. Karasuba's hands were suddenly wrapped tightly around him, joining behind his broad back.

"Ruto…. Go.. more…"

Naruto chuckled as she couldn't even say his full name anymore… Oh well. He liked that he was doing this to her… Or no. He _loved_ that he could do this to her. He swiftly pulled back and thrust back in, sending shivers of pleasure up his spine. It was aggravating. He so wanted to bask in this feeling but it would stop if he didn't _move…_ God it wasn't half as bad when he made love to the twins. What was with the Black Sekirei that made her different?

He picked up the pace then, driving rational thought out as he set a steady rhythm. Karasuba whimpered and bit, marking his neck and shoulder heavily. He couldn't even feel her teeth upon his superheated flesh. All he could sense was his pleasure and all he heard was the wet smack as their hips met each time.

A short time passed that way before he started to feel an uncomfortable sensation. He ignored it as long as he could, but it was annoying… distracting him from making love to his Sekirei.

He slowed down enough that pleasure no longer fogged his mind. Naruto attempted to mentally pinpoint the source of the irritating sensation even as… pain bit quickly in the muscles of his shoulder. That was when he realized Karasuba was biting him… hard. He looked down puzzled, his mind trying to figure out what was happening and consequently he stopped thrusting.

Karasuba released him a second later, her head dropping back to the bed. Naruto looked into her eyes, noting the not-all-there expression. Her lips were stained with red, which accounted for the hissing sound as the bite wound in his shoulder healed.

Naruto honestly didn't know how to react in that moment. Karasuba however did. She suddenly shot up, her dazed look gone. A glare was shot his way for the briefest of moments before she asked hoarsely, "Why did you… stop..?"

He deadpanned. "You were biting me till I bled… and it felt weird like you were draining my energy or something… like when Akitsu-chan uses her Norito."

"Oh…" She blinked in embarrassed confusion. "I believe that was my fault then… I may have unconsciously tried to gather energy from you as I would from a kiss."

Naruto dead-panned. "Except that you were biting a chunk out… not kissing me…"

"Correct…" She nodded once then turned her head to the side. "I don't suppose you would start again where we left off…"

Naruto wasn't dense enough to miss the plaintive note in her voice. But that didn't help the fact that the odd feeling of her draining energy from him… coupled with her over enthusiastic biting… had made him go soft inside her. He sighed. "You're going to have to do something very sexy to get me back in the mood ya know. Just being naked isn't going to cut it this time."

She scowled. "And fucking the second strongest woman in the world doesn't cut it?"

He sighed again, a bit louder and leaned down. " _Suba-chan_ you know I can't help but love you right now… but you kinda ruined the moment trying to take a piece out of me."

Karasuba whined softly shifting her hips back and forth, trying to get him hard again. "Want… more damn it!" She pushed upwards, kissing him hard. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she pulled him back down. Naruto returned the kiss, slowly losing focus on what the rest of him was doing. His hands busied themselves playing over her oversensitive body while she…

-RING-RING-RING!-

Naruto and Karasuba both stopped instantly at the sound of the suite's phone. He broke the kiss with a low growl. And he'd _just_ been getting back into it. Karasuba was looking annoyed and more than a little red in the face. "I hate people who interrupt me."

"For what it's worth I'm not too fond of them either, but this is likely just bad timing." He groaned and sat back. "I'll get the damned phone." Naruto kissed her again before he pulled out of her fully and slipped off the bed. He quickly made his way to the phone and picked it up.

"Hello?"

" _Excuse me Mr. Sahashi, but we have a… Matsu on line one. Should I connect you?"_

"Yeah, go ahead."

The line clicked once and then cleared again.

" _Naru-tan! Finally I managed to track you down. I was starting to get anxious. Please tell me that Karasuba isn't doing anything awful to you…!"_

"As if… and you damn well know you just interrupted us Matsu. I remember that you can tell when I'm having sex with any of my Sekirei." He grumbled something about perverts having a death wish. "And Karasuba probably knows too… so I hope you have a good reason for calling."

" _I'd like to think I do Naru-tan."_

"And that is?"

" _Well, a few things. First of all Tsukiumi is having mental breakdowns since you ran off. Tsu-tan thinks you abandoned her to the four winds… and I quote to "Have such retched and degrading affairs with a cold eyed murderess". She's calmed down a bit since then, but everyone is on edge. Plus Miya just ran off some Sekirei belonging to Higa Izumo of the East. She's still pretty pissed by the way."_

"…"

" _Ahem… well, I'm just calling to tell you that Seo came over about ten minutes ago and told us that Minka sent out some kind of message! Seo doesn't know what it is since he isn't an Ashikabi, but you should turn on the TV or something. I'm sure he'll broadcast it to all the Ashikabi."_

Naruto sighed. "Fine. And… tell everyone that I'm sorry for running off, I'd just rather not get my head cut off by Miya. If they want they can come over here." A loud groan came from the bed and Karasuba slipped into the room a moment later. She moved over to where Naruto stood, her expression annoyed.

"Give me the phone."

He raised an eyebrow in question. "What you going to do? Threaten Matsu never to call while we're having sex? Cause I was going to tell her that anyway."

She stopped and pouted. "Fine, I don't care." Karasuba stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. "But they better not be coming right now."

"Not right now, but later. After all, it would be easier for everyone if we didn't have to deal with Miya or her rules. Although she is an excellent deterrent."

"A deterrent eh? I never thought of her in that way. It seems oddly accurate." She hummed thoughtfully and started kissing the back of his neck, intermixing them with soft bites. Naruto closed his eyes in enjoyment, momentarily forgetting about Matsu.

" _Naru-tan?"_

"Ugh…what is it?"

" _Is Kara-tan giving you fellatio right now?"_

Naruto groaned as Karasuba bit him again, drawing his attention away from the call. "Naruto-sama… can you just hang up…? You can listen to her some other time…"

"C..can't, Matsu said Minaka-teme is up to something…"

Karasuba slipped around to his front, one hand stoking down his chest as she purred in his ear. _"It can wait…"_ She murmured, kissing his jaw. Naruto shivered as her lips brushed his whisker marks. He felt himself hardening. Karasuba's smile was predatory again, her body pressing to his. She let his length slip between her thighs as her breasts pillowed against his chest. "And… we're back on track" she chuckled.

" _Naru-tan…?"_

Naruto would have responded… had Karasuba not disarmed him of the phone, placing it on the receiver with a snap. "I want _more…_ " She purred. "And I _am_ going to get it…"

His arms wrapped around her waist… "fine… back to bed then?"

She almost giggled. She curled her arms around his neck and lifted her legs to wrap around him. "Take me back to bed then. I don't want to be able to walk properly in the morning… got it?"

He grinned, completely forgetting about Matsu… or whatever the hell Minaka was planning. Karasuba wanted more… and she _was_ going to get it.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Toyotama gasped in pain as she dropped into a chair across from her Ashikabi. Higa didn't even glance up at her as she shifted, making sure her bruised rear was comfortable in the soft leather cushion. She glared at her Ashikabi for a long moment.

Higa remained unresponsive.

Toyotama felt two… no, three things in that moment. First was anger at Miya, the pillar of the Sekirei. That woman had run her off from Izumo it with the flat of a katana! And she'd felt it too! The power she had behind those swings was enormous. Under different circumstances she would have been complaining loudly, but Higa wouldn't care.

The second thing she was feeling was annoyance. Annoyance that Higa couldn't even bother to look at her. And this in turn caused a small lance of pain and doubt.

Higa had winged her naturally. She was one of only three Sekirei he'd actually taken without force. But for a while now she'd been wondering what she could possibly had seen in him. Sure he was Ashikabi material. He had the required power. But he was just so cold… Not once in the entire time she'd been serving him had he shown her any kind of affection. His indifference was such that she no longer even took pleasure in his touch…

She knew that any time he touched her it was only that… a touch. So how could she feel warm and tingly when he held her hand? Not that he did anything even _that_ intimate.

A loud sigh escaped her as she leaned back in the chair. "You know what Ashikabi-sama… there's something that's been bothering me."

Higa's eyes stopped darting across his computer screen. His attention had been drawn, but he still didn't speak.

"I mean… so I go off to look for this guy you told me to find… and I track him down to Izumo Inn. Except for some reason he isn't there and the pillar lady is pissed off big time. Of course I ran like a bat out of hell, but she still managed to hit me three times! Hurt like a mother fucker by the way. But regardless of that… I got over it and kept looking." She scowled. "I didn't find anything for a long while. Eventually I gave up trying to find him the normal way and started looking for any conflicts in the city involving Sekirei."

Higa raised on eyebrow. "And?"

"And I didn't find anything there either. I saw this creepy looking girl with her Sekirei take out a pair of Yakuza like they weren't even there. The kid just raised her hand and the guys withered away. But anyway… I couldn't find even a trace of him… until I decided to come back here to check in with Kouchou."

"You did find something then."

She nodded. "Yes I did. And it's the reason why I'm kind of bothered right now." Toyotama grimaced like she'd just swallowed something very sour. "I was passing by this big fancy apartment complex when I felt something. It was like when someone uses their Norito, but… smaller and more erratic. I was curious so I stopped and tried to get a look in through the windows. Can you guess what I saw?"

"…"

"I saw none other than #4 Karasuba in mid- _freaking_ -orgasm, being fucked by the very guy you told me to find!"

Toyotama glared at Higa, her eyes narrowed to slits. "And what I want to know… is why does the fucking Black Sekirei get to have mind blowing sex, hours after she's winged… and I haven't even been kissed by you beyond my winging…"

Higa frowned. "You know very well why that is. The Sekirei bond is nothing but a contract. Why do I need to fill it with needless emotion and feelings that will only interfere? You follow my orders without fail or you are useless to me."

Her eyes widened for a moment… then her face set. Toyotama stood swiftly, her mind in turmoil. She swallowed hard and turned on her heel to leave. "I…I've known that for a while now… but that's the first time you actually told me out right…" She took a long breath as her hands balled into fists. "You're wrong… and if you ever want me to do what you say again… you better rethink our _bond."_

"What are you talking about? You can't disobey me."

Toyotama's head whipped around with a barely audible pop. Her eyes goring holes in him. "Just you watch me."

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Minaka Hiroto was a bit disappointed.

He'd set up the perfect plan to ensnare Karasuba and Naruto but in some ironic twist, the usually helpful and predicable boy… completely ignored him.

Minaka sighed for what must have been the twentieth time. All his plans seemed to fall beneath the treacherous feet of the blond Ashikabi. Whatever he did… and whatever strategies he worked out to control Naruto… the boy would by some stroke of luck avoid it.

It was almost as if some fell goddess had taken a liking to him and gifted him with eternal good fortune.

That in and of its self was bad enough. What was worse was Naruto's seemingly limitless capacity to change the game without warning. First he winged Musubi, the Sekirei wild card. Because of Yume, #88 had the potential to become every bit as strong as Karasuba for short periods of time… And in a "worst case scenario" she could very well _become_ #8. And Yume had been the second most powerful Sekirei in the game.

After he winged Musubi he went on to do the technically impossible… accidentally. He hadn't arranged it, but he winged the scrapped number 7. Akitsu had been, in essence, pre-winged. And just by a wild stroke of luck he managed to do every little thing right. So in that moment he gained control of Akitsu… who was one of the few Sekirei who didn't have a proper limiter.

…much like Karasuba.

And it didn't stop there. He winged Tsukiumi, who had control over water. But her powers were beyond anything the other Sekirei could cope with… if only she had full control over her abilities. If her limiters were removed she would be able to manipulate any liquid… in anything. Including people. Meaning that she could kill Sekirei well beyond her own level.

Minaka wouldn't put it past Naruto to _somehow_ release her limiter… The process wasn't actually that difficult for an Ashikabi who knew what he was doing. The only thing was that he didn't… But, then again, his _accidents_ were borderline Divine Intervention.

That in turn led to the issue of the twins… #11 and #12. Now there were two Sekirei that _needed_ to have their limiters in place. With the proper training they could literally rob atoms of their electrons, causing the bonds between matter to dissolve… and even titanium alloy would fall into a fine powder. (although this would also cause a massive explosion based on the density of the matter they disrupted) Then their lighting would blast in devastating anything it touched. Without their limiters Hikari and Hibiki were capable of annihilating everything in their path… with or without their Norito.

They were effectively capable of turning anything their lighting touched into a nuclear weapon.

#2 was even more problematic… but for him.

Matsu's powers were _severely_ limited. The girl didn't know it of course, but he'd placed the second heaviest limiter on her as any other Sekirei in the game. Only #10 Uzume had a stronger Limiter. He didn't even want to think about what could happen if either of them lost their Limiters somehow. He certainly didn't need a perverted _omniscient_ redhead or a busty brunet that could create carbon steel out of thin air. The nightmare would be never ending.

And… all this led to the grand slam of Naruto's accomplishments so far.

#4 Karasuba, the Black Sekirei.

Minaka was very tempted to _pray_ that she never found out about her own power. As far as he knew she was oblivious to that fact that she had a real Norito at all. Karasuba assumed that unlike all the other Sekirei, her ability was merely extreme physical power, speed, and reflexes.

In that much she was very wrong.

All that was left was for Naruto to wing someone like #44 Yosuga and he would be invincible. Give him someone who's Norito was the equivalent of Superman's tactile telekinesis… And well, the game minds as well be over. Naruto could just put Yosuga on Karasuba's shoulders, sit back with a bucket of popcorn, and watch them win the game.

Frighteningly enough… if Yosuga used her Norito on Karasuba… the Black Sekirei could very well take on Miya… as long as she didn't let herself get hit.

Now there was a terrifying thought!

Minaka shivered as he considered how many Sekirei there were left in the game to be winged. The number was quite large… and all of them were technically capable of being monstrously powerful under certain circumstances. Sekirei #43 Yomi could create a construct of energy by amplifying the energy given off by moving any object. She only used it on her scythe… but if she only knew how truly powerful an ability it was… she could be devastating in combat… or #6 Homura. Minaka was glad Homura was afraid of his own flames. Otherwise the guy might figure out what his power really was…

…All the Sekirei in the game were the same way. All of them could harness such extraordinary power. The only thing that prevented the Sekirei Game from turning the city into a smoking crater were the limiters. If they were removed…

He'd give it a week and the city wouldn't exist anymore.

But anyway… on to other matters.

Minaka leaned back in his chair and tried to come up with some way to make things work… after all it wasn't long before the second stage of the games began. He needed a handle on Naruto before that happened.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Matsu rubbed sleepily at her eyes as she glared at the computer screen in front of her. She was… so tired. Having stayed up more often than not… and with the recent stress brought on by Miya's foul mood, she needed to rest. But at the same time she knew that it would be wise to stay awake.

And as the Sekirei of Wisdom it was basically her MO do the wise thing. In this case the "wise" thing was hacking into the computer mainframe belonging to Higa Izumo.

It had come to her attention a short time ago that Higa had it out for Naruto. The fact that he sent his strongest Sekirei, Toyotama, to spy on them only made her more assured of this. Luckily Miya was (and still is) in a bad mood at the time and ran her off. So there was no harm done. But that left her with a few problems that needed to be solved. First and foremost was the lack of information on the Ashikabi of the East.

Which was why she was still awake at this point.

She yawned and groped blindly with her hand, reaching over to the left where her bottle of caffeine pills lay. She needed to be awake and alert when she broke into the company's restricted files. #22 Kochou would likely be guarding Higa's private information and, while far weaker than herself, Kochou could put up one hell of a fight if she somehow managed to use her Norito.

Matsu opened the bottle and popped a pill into her mouth, chewing the incredibly bitter tablet to speed up its effects. A few minutes later she felt the urge to close her eyes and lay down dissipate. Her eyes sharpened as the drug took effect. _"Time to hack my way into your secret places and spill your data like blood! This is for trying to spy on the goddess of wisdom!"_

She paused then, about to initiate the hack when her eyes caught sight of something in the periphery of her vision. Her head turned to the side for the first time in more than three hours.

"M…Musubi!?" Matsu gasped.

But number 88 wasn't listening. She had her face buried deep in an all too familiar magazine.

Matsu watched for a moment, then… deciding that this was just a delusion caused by lack of sleep… returned her attention to the computer screen. Her fingers flew over the keyboard, preparing to destroy Higa from the inside out. However she couldn't help but shake her head at her own weakness.

Honestly? Having delusions was bad enough. Sure she'd been awake for too long and she needed sleep. But imagining that Musubi was reading a porn magazine…

…ridiculous.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Meanwhile #22 Kochou, who was in the middle of drooling on her computer's keyboard, was dreaming about winning the lottery and moving to America. It was a dream of oversized pizzas and all day classical movie binges. Oh… she was in for a rude awakening the next morning.

Sly creepy giggling seemed to come from nowhere as her computer clicked on without her command. Files started to fly past on the screen.

Only an hour later the screen went dark… and all was silent.

Poor _poor_ Kochou.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

" _Alright.. why don't you introduce yourselves… one at a time."_

" _Introduce ourselves? What are we supposed to say?"_

 _Naruto blinked in surprise and looked around. He found himself standing on the stone roof a building that he faintly recognized, but couldn't place. Beside him were two people. One was a young girl of about thirteen. She was sitting off to his right, pulling her hands through her long bubblegum pink hair. The movement seemed oddly… familiar._

 _And next to her was a boy… about the same age with dark hair and black eyes. Naruto frowned. The boy's chin was resting on his intertwined fingers, his intense gaze focused off to one side._

 _Why did that look remind him so strongly of someone?_

 _Naruto's eyes slid slowly to the side… His mind went into shock. Sitting there on a guard rail was Homura… except it wasn't. This man had silver hair and was far more muscular than the effeminate Sekirei he knew. But… he looked so similar. Right down to the way he was sitting and his posture._

" _You know, Likes, dislikes, hobbies… Those kinds of things." The man shrugged easily as if it didn't really matter._

 _Naruto shook his head in confusion and tried to stand up, but his body wouldn't move._

" _How about you Naruto?"_

 _He quickly looked up, caught off guard by the question. "I uh… My name is Naruto Saha…"_

 _His words were suddenly stuck in his throat._

" _Something wrong Naruto? You look like you're choking on something." He leaned forward, his single visible eye drilling into him._

 _The pink haired girl crossed her arms. "He can't even remember his own name? How pathetic."_

" _Hn…"_

 _Naruto looked to his right, seeing the disapproving looks and then back to the silver haired man. "But I… What is happening here? I was just…" He raised his hand, looking at his palms in confusion. "I was just with Karasuba-chan… why am I… here?"_

" _Well Naruto… I can't really tell you that."_

" _How… how do I not know my name?" Naruto looked up to him, trying to understand… but suddenly went still. The silver haired man was gone._

 _His head snapped to the right._

 _The other two were gone as well._

 _Naruto jumped to his feet and dashed forward… only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He turned on his heel and found himself caught by blood red eyes. The eerie crimson burned and shifted, the black pupils set in them like shards of obsidian. Then the voice like rumbling thunder…_

" _ **What the hell are you doing Naruto? You need to wake up."**_

 _ **Ooo**_

 _ **Ooo**_

Naruto's eyes slammed open wide.

" _What was that?"_

He blinked slowly and turned his head to the side, taking in the room around him as he did so. Nothing was different from how he remembered… Everything was exactly how he left it when he went to sleep earlier. So… was that just a crazy dream? He seemed to remember having other strange dreams recently as well, but what did they mean? Did it have something to do with his infuriating pseudo-memory loss?

Naruto didn't know, but lying there in bed wasn't going to help him figure it out. He would just have to wait for things to become clearer. Either that or try and forget about it…

" _But no, that isn't any good. I feel like I really need to know what's missing. If I tried to just forget about it I'm sure it would drive me insane. I just wish it could be a bit clearer… but maybe that defeats the purpose. If it was clearer it wouldn't be a problem."_

Naruto let out a long sigh and rolled onto his side. He couldn't help but smile at what he saw. Karasuba's face was nestled into his side while her arms were wrapped snuggly around him. Her hair was messy, splayed out over the bed like fine silver. Naruto hummed to himself as he moved one hand to stroke down her cheek. _"I guess it's not so bad… As long as I have my Sekirei with me it won't be nearly as hard to deal with it. But… maybe I should ask someone about it. Is there someone I could talk to who specializes in memory loss… like the kind I have? Memories that don't even fit with my life…"_

He gave the mental equivalent to a shrug and leaned forward to kiss the top of Karasuba's head. His Sekirei seemed to sense his touch because she nuzzled her face into him more. Her murmur was barely audible but he still caught it.

"… _Ruto…sama…"_

He chuckled. Ruto-sama? Was that her chosen nickname for him by this point? It seemed like it. She'd been calling him that often enough while they had sex, but he just assumed that it was part of… well the way she acted when she had sex. Rather like the twins were both very submissive lovers. As he'd found out the S&M costumes were just for show. Neither Hikari, nor Hibiki had any inclination to lead in the bedroom. And Karasuba… _amazingly_ … was very similar.

Although he had to admit she could be rather pushy. The twins were satisfied after a couple rounds. Karasuba… Let's just say she wasn't satisfied until she had a hard time keeping her eyes open. And even then she lazily tried to get him to continue.

Naruto assumed that her calling him Ruto-sama was just something she did in the heat of passion. But apparently he was wrong. Now it also applied to cuddles… So… the question was would she call him that in public?

He somehow doubted it.

Karasuba's hold on him abruptly tightened and he looked down. Her hands were grasping fistfuls of the blanket while her cheeks had burned red. It took a few moments for him to realize what was happening, even while she moaned in her sleep. And when he did he didn't know whether to be proud or embarrassed. _"Damn… she's dreaming about what we just did isn't she… and right afterwards too! Though.. I guess if it's true that you often dream about what happened during the day before… then it shouldn't surprise me."_

A few moments passed and Naruto decided to check the time. It felt like the very early morning to him, but it might have just been a cloudy morning outside. The light coming from the window behind the bed and to the left was dim so it could go either way.

Naruto levered himself up far enough to see the clock on the wall.

7:30 am

Well that answered his question. Naruto again glanced to Karasuba… only to find her eyes open and fixed on him. Karasuba smiled in a way that reminded him of a leopard that had just finished a large meal… It was a lazy, rather contented expression.

"Morning Naruto-kun."

"You too… Suba-chan… But what happened to Ruto-sama?"

She blushed. "Nothing. I was merely…"

"Merely what?"

"Never mind that. We have other business to attend to do we not?"

Naruto raised one eyebrow in question. He dimly wondered if Karasuba was trying to avoid the question. Could it be that she was actually embarrassed that she called him that. If she was then he felt an obligation to make her admit it! He grinned and, in a burst of movement, flipped her on her back. A split second later he was on top of her. "I do believe you're right Suba-chan. We do have some business to attend to. And the best part is we don't even have to leave the bed!" He leaned in close. "My question still remains Suba-chan… what happened to you calling me Ruto-sama? I kinda liked it."

Karasuba hurriedly turned her head away from him… which didn't help her case very much. In fact it only made him more certain that his original guess was on the money. She _was_ embarrassed about it… He didn't know why but she had no reason to be… sorta. Maybe it damaged her pride a bit, however the way he saw it that was hardly a bad thing.

"Suba-chan…"

She growled, still trying to ignore him.

"If you don't answer me I might have to…" He trailed off as he leaned in to kiss her pale throat. Karasuba closed her eyes and her expression changed from a pout to something more akin to lust. Naruto chuckled, quickly forgetting the original reason behind his actions. Karasuba's voice was all he wanted to hear… or more specifically her voice moaning his name, however the hell she decided to change it.

For her part Karasuba was more than willing to switch from his playful interrogation to something she enjoyed much more… sex.

 **Ooo**

A little over an hour later Naruto was in the large kitchen making breakfast while Karasuba showered. His hair was still wet as he'd been in the shower with her not ten minutes before… He never imagined he'd actually do it in there…

It was far more tricky than the porn industry would have you believe, especially with soap added into the mix, but the fact that he was actually having sex with Karasuba in a steaming hot shower made up for that small issue.

He smirked, thinking himself a lucky man indeed. Not only did he manage to escape Miya's wrath and gain another Sekirei, but he'd spent a _very_ enjoyable night… and morning with her. It made him question how this kind of thing was supposed to work. Wasn't bad behavior supposed to be punished? Like Karma and all that?

If this was what he got for pissing off Miya he was tempted (only slightly) to try it again.

The pity was that this particular situation couldn't happen a second time. The main reason being there was only one Karasuba and Miya probably wouldn't try to kill him for winging any other Sekirei in the game. Or well… maybe there were other Sekirei she despised as much as Karasuba. How could he know? If that was the case he'd have to be careful of whom he winged in her presence. He was decently confident in his new healing abilities, but he didn't want to test his power to heal against Miya… She might just try and decapitate him.

Naruto shook his head, trying to dispel the image of a furious Miya lopping his head off. It wasn't the most pleasant thought in the world… That was for sure.

Just then he heard a call from the shower.

"Naruto! Come here!"

He sighed and turned the heat off on the pan before leaving the kitchen. A few seconds later he peeked his head into the bathroom. A few weeks ago he would have blushed crimson, but after his night with the twins, his time with Karasuba, and his Sekirei's general lack of modesty… he was pretty much unaffected.

More to the point Karasuba wasn't trying to seduce him this time. Instead she looked mildly curious as she had her back to the bathroom mirror, attempting to crane her neck over her shoulder to look at something.

"Something wrong Suba-chan?"

She shrugged slightly. "I'm not sure. I just had a sudden pain in my lower back and neck, but there wasn't any reason for it. It's odd because I can almost feel as though there is something under my skin… but when I feel for it there isn't anything there."

Naruto raised an eyebrow and entered the bathroom. He sauntered over to Karasuba who twisted back around to look at him. Her grey eyes focused on his for a moment before she turned her back to him. Naruto bent down and placed a hand in the center of her back, rubbing over her smooth moist skin. "So where is this… pain?"

Karasuba had closed her eyes and a blush was slowly spreading over her cheeks. "Mm…lower…."

"Lower?" He drew his hand downward. "It doesn't sound like it hurts…" Naruto hummed as he pressed his thumb into the small of her back. He was rewarded by a small moan.

"…It stopped hurting." She mumbled.

"Really?" Naruto grinned. "Guess I have the magic touch then. Was it really bothering you though?" He removed his hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. His teeth dragged over her shoulder, making her squirm. Maybe it was just him… but it seemed like he couldn't keep his hands off her. Or… No, who was he kidding. He enjoyed her touch almost as much as she took pleasure from his. Probably a result of what Minaka had done to him… or something like that.

Karasuba purred like a cat, her head rising and her hands keeping his in place. "Don't stop doing that…"

"I didn't intend to… but breakfast won't cook its self."

"Aw… do that thing you did yesterday… You're not allowed to leave right now." Karasuba groaned as he nibbled over towards her neck. "… _harder…_ "

He chuckled and growled in her ear, turning his voice husky. "You know you have to let me go to make the handseal."

"How should I know that?!" She whimpered loudly and turned around, her hands grabbing handfuls of his shirt. "Just… do …"

"It or me?" Naruto asked.

" _both_ … now… Ruto-sama…"

Naruto grinned and kissed her. "Now that's more like it, but at this rate you won't be able to kill anyone. You'll be too busy with me to even draw your sword."

"Don't care…"

He chuckled and levered himself up, trying to make the proper handseal he'd remembered while she tried to pull his shirt off. Eventually she became exasperated and simply ripped it off, tearing the fabric like paper. Naruto might have protested the destruction of his shirt… but he didn't. He was too interested in what would be happening next.

Even as Karasuba kissed him again, there was a muted pop and a cloud of smoke appeared next to them. His Sekirei didn't even bother to look, instead deepening the kiss and forcing her black wings to emerge, casting their haunting light over the room. Naruto patently ignored his clone as the cloud of smoke dispersed. He already knew what he was supposed to do.

The clone frowned slightly as his creator turned his full attention back to his Sekirei. He huffed and left the bathroom, heading towards the kitchen. Dimly the clone realized that his creator was going to be having all the fun while he had the privilege to… cook breakfast…

But maybe he could get lucky and get a kiss before he went?

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Standing in the shadows of Izumo inn was a figure, her dark eyes gazing out at the group of girls that milled in the front yard. First and foremost was a tall statuesque blond. Her hair rippled like waves as she did a fair imitation of a strutting flamingo. Alongside her were two nearly identical girls, their only distinguishing features being a slight difference in bust size. Behind them was a shorter girl with the biggest breast she'd ever seen. This one wore an altered version of a shine maiden's outfit. Lastly a bespectacled redhead was watching all of this from the sidelines.

Her eye twitched as a beautiful woman, the air around her seeming to chill as she walked, materialized out of the Inn's front door.

It seemed as though they were preparing to move… and she knew exactly where they were going… and why they were heading there. She cast her eyes back into the shadows, perceiving not a dark wall, but the inside of an apartment where a young blond man was busy cooking.

She smirked ever so slightly and vanished into the shadows.

" _It won't be too long until I claim you as my Ashikabi… Naruto-sama…"_

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Karasuba could almost describe her current condition as heaven, lying as she was in her Ashikabi's arms after a very large breakfast prepared by none other than himself… or technically it was his clone or copy or whatever the hell it was. All she knew was that she killed it for trying to kiss her. Didn't the pathetic creature realize that right was reserved for Naruto, the original one that is!?

But at any rate… she was content. And that was not a word she thought she'd be using to describe herself at any time in the future. But now it was the perfect description of her mood. She wasn't angry, sad, depressed, or even moody. She was merely enjoying the afterglow of… well, it was rather easy to imagine _what_ exactly she was thinking of.

Damn, Naruto was right. How many times a day were they going to do it?

She gasped and groaned as Naruto shifted, his hands rubbing over her sore thighs. The activities of the night before were only just manifesting and she was still straining herself!

"Suba-chan… thanks to you we both need to shower again." Naruto muttered. "Plus you tore my clothes off. It turns me one when you do that, but I don't have enough clothes for you to do that… I'm not a big fan of walking around naked."

Karasuba turned herself around in his arms, her breast pushing against his chest. "You complain too much Naruto-kun…" She yawned. "I can't believe I'm actually tired… Perhaps a nap is in order… Feel free to carry me to the bath…"

Naruto slipped a hand down and pinched her butt cheek, eliciting a short squeak of surprise and slight outrage from her. "Naruto?!"

"Aw… My Karasuba is making such cute noises." He teasted. "Anyway… we _are_ going to take a shower, but we can't take all day about it. I'm sure the others will be arriving pretty soon. I got a flash of something a little while ago. Felt like Musubi, but I couldn't tell you why."

Karasuba pouted.

"Fine… I'll carry you…"

"That's better Naruto-kun."

"Hey!"

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Tsukiumi was nervous. She hadn't seen her Ashikabi for… a really long time! And it was starting to get to her. Just knowing that Karasuba was there with him, doing things… It just made her very uncomfortable! It wasn't like she _wanted_ to be doing the same things with him, but she couldn't let Karasuba and the twins be the only ones who received attention from him!

She raised her hand to knock on Naruto's apartment door, the one Matsu had directed them to…

But she faltered almost immediately. Her hand dropped and she looked down at the floor. Did her Ashikabi even want her to be there with him? Was that why he ran off with that tramp Karasuba? She just couldn't handle the thought. It was almost like Naruto didn't mind having her gone… especially with the fact that he'd done _that_ with her…

Her eyes rose, determination filling her once more as she realized that it was her duty as his wife to plunge forward regardless of the conceque…

-click-

Akitsu grew tired of waiting for her to open the god damned door and did it herself. She entered the room, quickly followed by the rest of Naruto's Sekirei. Tsukiumi stood there, looking at the open door, her determination all for naught.

Her head dropped in sorrow and she entered the apartment behind the others.

The first thing she saw upon entering was Musubi and Akitsu smothering Naruto with their breasts. Although admittedly, Musubi wasn't doing this on purpose. Tsukiumi would have sworn that Akitsu was _and_ getting pleasure from the act.

That barely visible yet extremely smug expression could only mean she was right about the ice user... Akitsu was nothing more than a…

"Oi… Tsukiumi-chan? Are you going to come over here or do I have to drag you over?"

"Ah! I am coming to thee!" She shouted and blurred across the distance to her Ashikabi. Naruto accepted her somewhat awkward embrace and kissed her.

She stiffened… and then moaned as pleasure drowned out all the uncertainty of the past twelve hours. Her deep blue wings emerged from her back, casting the room in indigo light. Tsukiumi reached out trying to wrap her arms around his neck and draw him in deeper, but Akitsu wasn't having any of it. She'd already confiscated one arm and used her greater leverage to turn Naruto towards her.

A moment later she was rewarded by a kiss as well. And then all of his Sekirei, excluding Karasuba who sat on a nearby couch watching it all, were vying for his attention. In a rush of multi colored lights, Naruto made his apology for being gone for so long. In reality he was gone less than twenty-four hours, but they weren't normal girls and they hadn't been bonded that long. These were his Sekirei and they craved his touch like nothing else.

They felt _greatly_ deprived at the moment.

Naruto chuckled as Musubi tried to clamber between the twins to get at him again for another kiss. The two of them grumbled as Musubi succeeded in usurping their place next to him. And then she was pulling his face to hers and he was startled by how passionate it was…

He was used to sweet, if sometimes intense kisses from his first Sekirei. This lust wasn't something he was accustomed to from her.

But he enjoyed it.

Naruto let her deepen the kiss, feeling her arms slip around his neck. Some of his Sekirei gaped at them, not expecting to see the usually timid Sekirei taking the initiative.

Karasuba glanced over to Matsu, the only one besides Akitsu who didn't looked surprised. "I take it you took it upon yourself to explain a few important things about the Sekirei/Ashikabi bond."

"Oh… you could say that…" Matsu giggled. "Mu-tan was _very_ eager to see Naru-tan again. She got her hands on some of my old magazines. You should have seen her after I cleared everything up with her. Kukukuku…."

A low moan interrupted as Naruto forced his first Sekirei to break away from him. He was out of breath and she seemed eager for more. Much more. Musubi whined softly and tried to initiate another kiss, but Naruto placed a finger on her lips to forestall her.

She bit him. Not hard, but enough to take him off guard. The shy, cute, innocent, but undeniably sexy look made his breath catch in his throat.

Matsu walked over and sat down on the couch next to Karasuba. The Black Sekirei glanced at her and then back to the reunion currently happening. A small half frown on her face. While she was pleased that Naruto was happy and enjoying hisself… she realized that this would be the end of their alone time for a while. Unlike some Ashikabi who discouraged possessive Sekirei, Naruto was a magnet for both Sekirei and the possessive nature they often had. They'd be all over him from now on, especially with the limits imposed by Miya gone.

A sigh escaped Karasuba. Things were going to be rather hectic until these girls could learn their places. She knew she was the strongest currently. And Naruto certainly favored her to a certain degree, she was sure of that. But she honestly didn't know how the rest of the girls would sort themselves out. Was it too much to hope that Naruto's flock might achieve some measure of… calm?

Probably.

Five minutes later Naruto had yet to disengage from his Sekirei. For now the twins were taking their turn as Naruto sat on the couch. Akitsu had arranged herself in his lap and was now pretending to be asleep. Musubi… Well she still managed to keep a piece of him to herself. She sat on the floor between his legs.

Naruto again had to wonder how it was that he could be in a situation like this, literally cocooned in sexy female flesh. Left, right, on top of him, in front of him. The only thing that was missing was for Tsukiumi to drape her breasts on his head and he'd be smothered!

He chuckled, thinking that it was comical that he was planning to enroll in a normal college a few weeks ago. Wasn't that crazy? One month he was a normal, if physically adept, student. And the next he was a super powered Ashikabi neck deep in a tournament that occupied the entire capital. And he had seven amazing and gorgeous girls with him.

" _ **You're wasting time…"**_

Naruto's thoughts came to a screeching halt the moment he heard that voice again. His head snapped around, searching for the source. His Sekirei, attuned to his emotions as they were and already in physical contact with him, noticed immediately.

"Naruto-sama… what's wrong?" Akitsu asked.

He didn't answer for a moment, still looking around. But no… it couldn't have come from anyone in the apartment. Karasuba and he would have noticed before.

" _ **This is ridiculous… Stop playing around!"**_

"Naruto-kun…?"

He shook his head hard. That voice… it wasn't coming from outside. It originated from within. Somehow the voice was coming from inside his own head!

" _ **Well about god damned time. Get out of that apartment and away from distractions. We need to**_ _ **talk**_ _ **."**_

Naruto was wide eyed as the impossibly deep voice resonated within his mind for a third time in a row, this time imparting more words than ever before. And even now it was becoming clearer, crisper. "Who… who are you…?"

His Sekirei all looked at him, their own expressions trapped between confused and worried. Akitsu tugged at his sleeve. "Ah… Naruto-sama… what is wrong?"

" _ **Now kit. We don't have time for this."**_

"W…who..?"

" _ **Arg…"**_ The voice turned into a low aggravated growl. _**"You dense idiot! Pull your head out of your ass and get up!"**_

Hibiki and Hikari shouted in surprise as Naruto found himself abruptly pulled to his feet. "The HELL?!" he cried, waving his arms about as _something_ that was not him moved his body like a puppet. His legs worked quickly steering him away from the couch and into the kitchen. "What the fuck is happening?! Why can't I control my body?!" he screamed.

" _ **Sometimes I have to wonder why I put up with you."**_

"Who are you and why are you talking in my head?!"

Naruto's shout filled the whole apartment as his Sekirei watched for a brief moment… and then dashed after him. Akitsu was in the lead as they chased their Ashikabi out of the apartment and into the hallway outside. Naruto crashed into the wall almost immediately, clutching at his head in pain. The voice… it was suddenly carving up the inside of his skull.

He'd never felt such pain.

It was like nothing he'd ever felt or ever dreamed that he would feel. And with it came flashes. A girl with dark indigo hair… pale lavender eyes. An old man with a pipe, smiling at him with squinted eyes. A young boy with unruly blond hair and bright blue eyes shouting at him for missing the graduation ceremony… And then… red…

Naruto's eyes flew open wide as the pain intensified and a sea of blood opened up before him. Without warning the hallway disappeared, the building along with it… All he could see was a deep crimson. It blinded him to everything else. He looked down… but there was no floor to stand on. His mind tried to focus through the agony, but… couldn't.

Falling to his knees he tried desperately to find an anchor. The red hot blades carving up the inside of his skull refused to disappear. They persisted, hacking into him, rendering him unable to move or cry out. Everything… hurt with that same feverish clawing pain. And beyond that was… cold. Nothingness… and with it the voice.

" _ **Remember Naruto… remember who you are!"**_

Blood red eyes opened within the sea of darkness, a strange design spinning within them… like black commas. And then they morphed into something else. Pulsing, the black ran together, becoming something else… and Naruto's mind was filling with loud crazed laughter… the laughter of a madman.

" _W..who I am…?"_

" _ **Son… student… friend… hero… husband… father… leader…. REMEMBER! It has been years Naruto! I refuse to see this lie any longer! You are Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze and YOU WILL REMEMBER!"**_

" _But… I…"_

" _ **No! You will not push this or me away! If you cannot see it for yourself I will force you to see it!"**_

And before Naruto's eyes the red faded.

In its place was the inside of a house. The pain had vanished as quickly as it came and Naruto found himself standing on a cool hardwood floor. He glanced down at his feet then patted himself down… Sure enough he seemed alright, but where was he? _"Is this… in my head? That thing that was talking to me… what was he?"_

" _ **I am an old friend, and you have lost more than I can say…"**_

Naruto whirled around. "Who's there?!"

" _ **I am still within your mind Naruto. This is only a memory."**_

"A memory... Then where is this?! Tell me who you are!" Naruto did a slow turn, making sure that he couldn't see anyone around him who might be speaking. "And how are you doing this anyway! What was making my head hurt so bad a minute ago?!"

The voice came back a second later. _**"This is a memory that has been… repressed for lack of a better word. As for who I am? I am Kurama…"**_

"Kurama?... Fuck! Why does that sound so familiar!?"

" _ **Because I have been with you since you were an infant."**_

"Ho..how is that possible?! And…"

" _ **All will be made clear in a few minutes. Go and view this memory… Right now we are deep inside your subconscious. That is why the pain stopped."**_

"If…" Naruto paled. "What is happening to my body outside then?"

" _ **You are currently convulsing and being restrained by those girls. The Sekirei as you call them."**_

"What?! You have to let me go to them! You don't understand they're probably panicking right now! Do you realize how much they are linked to me?!"

" _ **I understand perfectly. Every memory you have I can look through and review at my leisure. I know more about you then you do right now. And as it is currently you don't even know what you should. There is much that needs to be explained Naruto… and I can only do so much. The pain is necessary. Without it there is no way to get your memories back in full."**_

"I…"

" _ **Go Naruto… They're waiting."**_

"Who…?"

But the voice known as Kurama didn't answer. Naruto turned as he heard laughter, except it was different from before. No longer crazed it sounded light and happy… almost like the tinkling of bells. Obviously it came from some little girl. He frowned in confusion and not knowing what to do, he followed the sound.

His steps took him out of a short hallway and into a living room of sorts. Naruto's eyes immediately fell on who he assumed was the girl he'd heard laughing. His jaw dropped in shock. She looked to be about eight or nine years old with long dark hair and bright blue eyes. Her skin was light and unblemished and on her cheeks she sported four odd marks.

Her… her face… it was round and pump… her eyes… the cast of her features… They were so like the reflection he saw in the mirror every morning. And those marks on her face. There was no mistaking those. He'd never seen anyone with marks like that. Not even on his mother or Yukari. Point in fact it had been one of the first questions he could remember asking Takami when he was little.

Naruto's eyes followed the little girl as she seemed to be searching for something… Eventually she found it… a large stuffed bear.

She lifted it up and hugged it to her.

Then suddenly she squealed in joy as a pair of arms wrapped around her and she was lifted into the air.

Naruto stood frozen.

" _Is that…?"_

" _ **Yes… it is."**_

It was _him._ There was no way around it. The tanned skin, spikey blond hair, and three black lines on either side of his face. It was him down to every facet save for one… He was older. Yes… the blond man holding up the girl in his arms looked like he was in his late twenties at least. Maybe even his early thirties.

He was dressed in a handsomely embroidered burnt orange jacket with a white cloak draped over his shoulders. His hair was shorter making him look more mature… and… he could see that for some reason his right arm was wrapped in bandages.

" _K..Kurama… is this who I think it is.. that I'm holding..?"_

" _ **Your daughter… yes."**_

Naruto swallowed hard as the girl twisted around in her father's hands and hugged him back. Her squeal of "Daddy!" did something to him… like a wrenching in his gut.

He let out a breath and fell heaviliy against the wall, clutching at his chest.

" _ **You understand Naruto? You have been living a lie."**_

" _A lie…"_ He shuddered. _"What lie…? What happened?... Why.. why!? Why do I have a daughter I've never seen!? Why am I older than I am!? Why is there a voice in my head with a name I remember but haven't heard before?!"_ Naruto turned away from the sight of the mother/daughter meeting, unable to bear the sight any longer. _Tell me Kurama! WHO AM I!?"_

The deep rumbling voice went silent for a time… then spoke once more.

" _ **Open your mind to me Naruto… I'll show you everything you've forgotten. But… it will not be pleasant."**_

" _Do it."_

" _ **As you wish… Are you ready"**_

Naruto sucked in a deep breath. _"I'm ready."_

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

 **And there it is! I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter! And yes… yes, it is another cliffhanger but too bad! There wasn't any other way to end the chapter properly unless I made it 20,000 words. So… remember to review and I'll get the next chapter out as soon as I can!**

Ande would never admit I to her….


	10. Chapter 10

**I was intending to post this before Christmas but the FF doc manager had different ideas. So… happy late New years and welcome to the next chapter of Alternate Plans!**

 **IMPORTANT! The start of this chapter is a series of flashbacks which are Naruto's memories. Not everything will be explained in these flashbacks… as it would take far too long to do so and I personally hate reading fanfics with too many back to back flashbacks.**

 **So… with that said… on to the reader reviews.**

 **KuronoDono12** **: Well… the thing is… yeah. You're right. But probably not in the way you think.**

 **Kartikey** **: Something to do with Hinata… hm? Maybe. We'll have to see about that. As for the Sharingan it's easy to see why he might see that. The Sharingan and those who possessed it have played huge parts in his life before he became Minato Sahashi. Sasuke, Itachi, Obito, Madara, Kakashi… The Sharingan is probably one of the top ten most influential aspects of his life.**

 **As for not recalling Hinata as part of his revelation… I could have chosen dozens of things. Sasuke… team 7, his parents, Kurama himself, and many other things. And just because you remember something doesn't mean you will remember the most appropriate things for the situation. Plus…. Think of how awkward it would be to remember Hinata when he has a harem of Sekirei?**

 **Dragoon of Kaos** **: His powers… Well he will know how to use them. But can he** _ **actually**_ **use them? That is the question…**

 **Dragon God of Chaos** **: I'm just going to say it here. Naruto is not really reincarnated. It might seem like it. And Naruto might even think that himself… but it isn't true. And the whole "Naruto becomes a baby in another mother's womb but grows up to look just like himself with all his memories" thing is a little awkward in my opinion.**

 **insanemaelstrom** **: Yes… Minaka is like a cheesy Scooby Doo villain. But there are many ways in which to portray him. I've read stories where he is a mad fool, an evil genius, Orochimaru in disguise, or simply an insane scientist. This is merely how I decided to portray him; a highly intelligent but still able to be thwarted mad scientist.**

 **Dezzal** **: And exactly what part of using clones means the story is bad? I mean really? Of all the things to complain about?** _ **Besides**_ **it's one of Naruto's two main jutsu! How can I not include it if Naruto regains his memories?!**

 **Temsen** **: Yeah… having the whole thing being a dream would kill it for me too. I'd just drop the story if I read something like that. No this is not a dream for Naruto.**

 **Vishesh** **: Thank you for the compliment… and I agree. There aren't enough good Sekirei/Naruto crossovers.**

 **Paradoxity** **: Yes… Naruto is blunt as hell. Definitely. No… this is not a dream!**

 **Mana's Cinder** **: She might get winged. Who knows? Oh… wait I do. Nevermind. Yes… this story is filled with lemony cliffhangers… hehe.**

 **Archleone** **: I'm sorry for not updating as quickly could, but college takes precedence over writing. I just finished taking Precalculus… again. I couldn't take chances and keep taking time away from school.**

 **Now… let's get this show on the road!**

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

" _Boruto Uzumaki… Sadara Uchiha._ _I now pronounce you man and wife." Konohamaru proclaimed with a grin. "Boruto, you may kiss the bride… you lucky bastard…"_

 _There was applause as Boruto pushed forward to kiss Sadara, discreetly flipping his sensei off behind her back. Sadara Ignored her sensei as she captured her now husbands lips with her own… and a tongue of war ensued._

 _Konohamaru rolled his eyes and walked off the stage as the two continued kissing, deaf to the roars of approval around them. The Jonin of Konoha meandered around the stage to stand by his surrogate big brother and the current Hokage of the hidden leaf._

" _Yo…"_

 _Naruto Uzumaki chuckled, shaking his head as he watched his son making out with Sasuke's daughter. He still couldn't fucking believe it. Like seriously? Was Kami-sama trying to prank him? He knew that had Sasuke still been alive right now the Uchiha would be banging his head against a wall… trying to get the image out of his mind. Then he'd try to kill them all on principle._

 _He turned to Konohamaru as the Sarutobi heir stood next to him. "Ya know… I never thought I'd see the day that Sasuke's daughter had the hots for my son. Now they're getting married and I don't know whether to laugh or cry."_

 _Konohamaru's grin stretched ear to ear. "I'd do my laughing now if I were you, because it's going to be nothing but tears after this. I'll tell you that much. Can you imagine what their kids will be like? I mean come on. Mixing Uzumaki and Uchiha? No… just no…"_

" _I hear you there Konohamaru… but at least you won't have to be the one to train them."_

" _Damn straight. You couldn't pay me to do that. Boruto was bad enough as is!"_

 _Naruto smacked Konohamaru upside the head. "Hey… baka. You might be right, but those are still my future grandkids you're talking about!"_

" _Sheesh! I was joking!"_

 _The blond Hokage didn't listen. Instead he grabbed the younger man in a headlock. "You know what! I bet this is your doing… little prankster. This is payback for when I made you look like an idiot in front of Moeji isn't it! You were playing matchmaker weren't you!?"_

" _Daddy…" Himawari groaned from where she sat a few feet away. "Leave uncle alone… it's not his fault my brother likes bossy women or that Sadara was crushing on him for years."_

 _Naruto looked back at his daughter as Konohamaru frantically tried to get out of the headlock. "I know… but it's the thought that counts."_

 _She dead-panned. "Really?"_

" _What?!" Naruto shouted indignantly. "I don't get to choke out anyone these days! I haven't killed anyone in years! It's tragic!"_

 _Himawari sighed. "This is why I never let any of my boyfriends meet you."_

 _The blond Hokage dropped Konohamaru like a bad habit and roared. "What boyfriend!?" Naruto bolted over to his daughter. "What are you talking about?! Who!?_ _ **Give me a name!"**_

" _No dad! You'd tear him apart!" She pushed him away. "Go bother Shikamaru or something. You'll meet him when I think you have enough self control not to maim him."_

" _I wouldn't do that… much…"_

" _My point exactly… you don't know the meaning of holding back."_

 _Naruto scowled. "I do too."_

 _Himawari raised her eyes to the heavens as if praying for patience from Kami… and quite abruptly her eyes widened. She stood, startling him as she activated her Byakugan. "Daddy… what is THAT?!"_

 _Naruto's head shot upwards just in time to see a titanic silvery_ something _hovering in the sky, floating towards the village. He turned scanning the area then he shouted. "ANBU to me!" Instantly he was surrounded by twelve of his best ninja. He growled to them. "Get the civilians out of here." Then he turned his attention back to the massive thing in the sky. It was getting closer. A few moments and its shadow would fall over them._

" _Daddy! There's… there's people inside it! I … I see someone it looks like!"_

 _But it was too late. Naruto felt the very energy of nature shudder around him… It was as if nature itself recoiled at the very touch of this thing. He shouted for everyone to run, preparing to go into full Bij_ _ū_ _mode even as he felt a colossal buildup of energy._

" _EVERYONE G_ _ **O! RUN!"**_

 _And then the sky shattered._

 _Ooo_

 _Ooo_

 _Naruto… was kneeling… his body bent over under the massive weight of gravity itself. He could barely hold himself up through sheer power and force of will. His head was bowed, not out of supplication, but because he had not the strength to raise it…_

 _All around him was ash… ash and dust… his whole world reduced to a blackened wasteland. His home… his village, his entire nation. All of it fallen before him. He could do nothing to stop it. And now… bowed but unbroken he knelt, barely able to move._

" _Ha! How wonderful Uzumaki! I have never been given such a battle! Not in my life!"_

 _Naruto growled, straining, forcing his head to rise… to look upon the face of the one who had done this. And there he was._

 _Standing a head taller than him with skin as white as ivory and hair whiter still… was a man. His features angelic… and his expression demonic. His eyes… oh his eyes were that hateful red he knew so well… Like twin pools of crimson. How he hated those eyes. What misery they had caused him. Always evil seemed to hide behind the twin pools of eternity… That bloody wretched Sharingan…_

" _..w..why….?"_

" _Why?! WHY?! WHY NOT!? You mortals don't seem to get it! Gods do not need to answer insignificant questions like why. Why do you feel the need to give yourself such meaning!? I am above you. I am divine! You need not understand why I do what I do! It is beyond your comprehension!"_

 _Naruto gritted his teeth, willing his body to move with every fiber of his being. Flames… white hot flames of chakra burst from his flesh, exploding forth in a glorious waterfall of power. And he moved… He charged forward with a scream of rage. "WHY DID YOU TAKE THEM FROM ME?!"_

 _He struck… such a blow that his hands did not crush. They cut… tearing through his enemy as if he were made of butter._

" _Ha! Yes Fight me more! I want to feel my blood pumping! Keep it up Uzumaki!"_

 _Naruto ripped and tore and twisted, seeking to tear him apart. The fire of the Biju chakra burning through his veins burned his enemy also… and they fell. They fell into the ash and tumbled, clawing, kicking biting at each other. Both inflicting terrible wounds on the other… neither caring._

 _Then a hand closed around his throat and Naruto found himself lifted up high and thrown like a rag doll. An instant later an orb of black metal crashed into his back, blasting through him… His spine, ribs, internal organs were broken and shredded. He screamed in agony but fought through it. Chakra that was more alive than he was healing his injuries as fast as they were inflicted._

 _Blue eyes flashed to gold and back again as he started to draw on the energy of nature, but he was too slow. A fist, feeling like a metric ton of stone, hit him… sent him flying across the landscape once again. Naruto shouted, his voice lost in the whipping winds and he tried to right himself. He succeeded and planted his feet in the ground, ash and dust pluming up around him as his heels carved furrows in the earth._

" _Yes… yes.. YES! Attack me! Make me feel pain! I'll return it tenfold! I'll show you the true meaning of existence!"_

 _Naruto blocked the next strike purely by instinct, the second only through sheer luck, and narrowly dodged the third. Then a fist exploded into his jaw, shattering it like glass. He reeled and threw a punch of his own, felt it connect, heard the howl of pain…_

 _Ooo_

 _Ooo_

 _Naruto knew not how long the fight continued. A day… a week… maybe more._

 _All he knew for sure was that he lost._

 _Eventually even he lost the strength to continue. Muscles shredded more times than he could count, bones broken over and over and over again… chakra depleted until all he had left was the will to fight on. However… his body couldn't continue. He was a dead man save for the weak pulse that said, despite everything, that he was still alive._

 _But he had lost. Nothing was more clear to him._

 _His enemy was simply too strong. He didn't even bother to doge his attacks… he took them over and over again. Clones, Rasengan variants, Sage mode, Biju mode… even six paths mode were treated with something approaching distain. Only his final form managed to interest the hateful being who had come and destroyed everything he cared about._

 _Now… he was here… held to a wall by a strange energy field inside the vessel that had first heralded the end of his home…_

" _Ah… so the mighty warrior is still awake… I'm glad. It wouldn't have been very good if you died on me."_

 _Naruto heard that voice again… clear and perfect… yet filled with so much contempt._

" _You know Uzumaki… when I first discovered your world I was looking for my little niece… Poor girl. Ran away from home more than a thousand years ago. Of course she was smart… didn't leave any trace of her trail behind. Couldn't find even a single DNA trace even though I searched twenty thousand systems. That was until two of my nephews sent me a message with coordinates to this planet. Low and behold they'd found her where I never thought to search. Took more than ten years just to travel here… it was damn near on the other side of the galaxy!"_

 _Naruto's eyes opened and he was able to make out those red eyes… he felt empty… hollowed out. But some part of him still focused on his words._

" _So I arrived here some two years ago. Content to watch for the most part while I waited for contact from my nephews. But the thing was… I never heard from them again. It was as if they'd vanished. I could still feel their energy lingering about here so I assumed they would return. They never did."_

 _Naruto wondered if he was referring to the two Otsutsuki who came to their world after Kaguya had been defeated._

" _I was a bit annoyed that they didn't do me the courtesy of contacting me but I decided that I would simply wait them out. However it was about a month after that decision that I was witness to a little… display of power from one of the mortals that lived on the world's largest continent. That mortal… was you. I was amazed that you had such power and I immediately realized where my niece's power signature had gone. You… somehow had a fragment of her power. Only about a fifth, but still… more than enough to interest me."_

 _The crimson eyed monster in human form smiled. "It took a while but I managed to get one of my servants to infiltrate your village and obtain a blood sample from you. Oh… the results were fascinating. To be a descendant of my niece is a great privilege you know. Few can lay claim to being a direct descendant of a goddess." His smile became almost predatory. "Fewer still can claim to be reincarnated from the grandson of one."_

 _Naruto felt something akin to satisfaction from him._

" _Ah, but what to do I had to ask myself. As a mere descendant you would be easy to deal with… but you had her powers as well… The situation was just so… interesting! And then it came to me… as a reincarnate of her grandson you must have the same soul as one of us! It was a revelation! A mortal with an Immortal soul! But what to do? What… to… do..? Killing you would be pointless. You would just reincarnate somewhere else… somewhere I might not be able to find you. So… I decided to take you with me when I returned to my sister."_

 _The blond Hokage felt something like horror seeping into his broken heart. A sister? How many of these monsters were out there?_

" _Anyway… we're on rout to my home world right now. It's a bit primitive, but I think you'll fit right in there. I just love adding powerful individuals to my collection, but my sister would want to have you more than me. I think you'll make a fine gift for her." He chuckled. "However there is one problem. As a descendant of my niece and possessing a good portion of her powers… my ship's systems would respond to your wishes… and I can't have that. Even I couldn't survive the vacuum of space if you were to cause the ship to self-destruct."_

 _Naruto eyed him angrily, willing him to die on the spot!_

" _So that's why you're inside that energy field. As long as you're in there you can't do anything. The only problem is that my ship is running low on power. And it barely has enough to return home. So I can't have it diverting power to that field all the way there. Therefore… need to get rid of that annoyingly defiant body of yours. Don't worry… I'll get you a new one just like it later. After all, my sister can be a bit rough with her playthings."_

 _The creature turned and left Naruto's field of vision, but he could still hear his voice, ringing in his ears like a death knell._

" _But don't you worry Uzumaki. I won't leave you with nothing. I understand you're probably feeling a little bad right now with me destroying your planet and all. But you gave me a good fight! The first one I've had in millennia, since I'm not allowed to fight my siblings. I'll make sure my sister treats you well… little mortal…"_

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

Naruto Uzumaki groaned as his eyes cracked open. Pain… pain was everywhere. As if the very concept of it had become intrinsic to his being. His body was one great ball of agony. His head felt like it was splitting apart… and worse still there was a pain in his heart. An unimaginable sorrow like nothing he'd ever felt before.

And yet.

And yet there was a pain even deeper still. One that cut him to the very core of his being, his soul.

His memory.

He remembered _everything_.

Gone was Naruto Sahashi… that horrid facsimile of him. Gone was the child who took his newfound power for granted. Oh Kami he was disgusted by himself. Disgusted by the way he'd acted, disgusted by the life he had been living! Even if he was doing so unknowing. He'd winged all these girls and then proceeded to treat them like they were casual girlfriends. Despite the fact that he damn well knew how powerful the bond was he'd pushed it to the back of his mind.

What was he?! Had he really forgotten his beliefs?!

He hadn't even been intimate with Tsukiumi, Musubi, or even Akitsu.

Naruto blinked once as his senses slowly started to adapt, although his mind was still reeling from the memories Kurama had restored to him. His skin felt the softness of the blanket he was laying under, ears registering the sound of his own heartbeat and the gentle gust of his breath, and his nose picking out the many individual scents that were nearby to him. _"Where am I? I don't recognize this room."_

He shifted, ignoring the physical pain he felt. _"Good… nothing is damaged badly. My body is just adapting to having so much chakra flow through it again. Damn Kurama could have been more gentle…"_

Sitting up Naruto cast his eyes around his room and came to the realization he was back in the apartment he and Karasuba had purchased. He simply hadn't remembered the ceiling after one day spent there. _"I'm here… but where are the others? I would have expected them to be here when I woke. Not that I mind having some time to think. I really need to figure out what the hell happened to me. I've been living as Naruto Sahashi for almost two decades. But… how? I have memories of being a child with Yukari-neechan, and I know they're real memories… yet I've already lived one life already."_

He rubbed at his temple, trying to alleviate the migraine that pulsed there. _"Kami… everything is just so fucked up… My life before seems so distant to me now. Is it just me growling up here or did someone mess up my feelings?"_

" _ **Good… you're back Naruto."**_

" _Kurama! Finally! What the fuck happened to me?! I'm… I'm, Naruto Sahashi, but I was Naruto Uzumaki before that! The last things I remember are your voice and that… monster talking to me. WHAT HAPPENED?!"_

Kurama's voice was low as he responded, trying to calm him down. _**"Listen Naruto… slow down. Getting worked up about this won't help anyone. I can explain some of what happened, but not most of it. I was out of it just as much as you for the most part."**_

" _Explain."_

" _ **Fine. I was losing power fast. You were fighting that Otsutsuki man and we were losing. Eventually you're body simply gave up and I had to withdraw inside the seal to avoid being ripped out of you. The next thing I know I was being locked inside my 'cage'… I don't know what happened to you… at least I don't understand the reason. But a long while after you fell unconscious.. I felt you die."**_

" _I… died?"_ Naruto's eyes widened in shock.

" _ **Yes. And for some reason your soul didn't enter the pure world. Instead I felt myself pulled out with you as your soul was… extracted for lack of a better term. Then… everything was darkness. A darkness that seemed to last for centuries. And finally… just as I felt I was going to go mad from it… you were born."**_

Naruto didn't understand. _"I was… born?"_

" _ **YES BORN! I don't understand it either. One day we're attending your son's wedding. The next your dead… and who knows how long later and I'm getting flashes of memory that don't belong to a grown man! I'm literally looking at memories of your chubby infantile ass! You were BORN… or REBORN… or whatever the hell happened. I don't know okay! I'm just a Bij**_ _ **ū**_ _ **for Kami's sake!"**_

" _So you don't actually know what happened to me? Then… then what about my memories? If I died then how am I able to remember everything from my past life? How am I able to remember Sakura and Kakashi and…"_ Naruto suddenly felt a void open up inside him.

"Hi..nata….."

" _ **Naruto… don't you dare think about her."**_

"But…"

" _ **Don't even start. If you think about her you will lose yourself. And we don't have the luxury for you to wallow in self pity. I feel sorry for you… I really do, but this isn't the time."**_

Naruto raised his hands, looking at their uncalloused palms. Then he closed his eyes, feeling tears dripping down his cheeks. _"I…I can't… Boruto… Himawari… they're both.. both…"_

" _ **STOP! YOU CAN'T MORN THEM NOW!"**_ He stiffened as Kurama roared at him, filling his mind with the deafening sound. _**"There is NOTHING you can do to bring them back now Naruto. You can't worry about them… you can't think about them If you do you will fall apart and I REFUSE to let that happen."**_

" _Kurama… how can I not think about them? They… they were my children! They… they died! Fuck you… and ..fuck! Why did they have to die!? WhywhywhyWHY?!"_

" _ **That was a different life Naruto, a different world. They died and so did you, but your soul survived. I would assume that you reincarnated, just as Asura did a thousand years before you at the beginning of the feud with his brother Indara."**_ The Kyuubi's voice echoed in his mind, ripping him from his grief. _**"You were born as Naruto Sahashi… a pathetic existence perhaps but that is what happened. You grew up not knowing your powers until I was able to break through this seal and reach your mind again. From the last few weeks I've been prodding at your mind… and now you've regained all the memories you lost."**_

Naruto swallowed hard, finally focusing on Kurama's words. _**"You need to get a hold of yourself. It's true that they didn't deserve to die… and no father should ever have to bury his children, especially on their wedding day… but you have a new life to live. You have a family. One that may seem alien to you now, but a family none the less."**_

" _T..takami… and Yukari…"_

" _ **Yes… They are your family… they are your family here… and don't forget your Sekirei. They are your family too now. Or have you forgotten the last month?"**_

" _I…"_

" _ **I nothing. You have never been one to linger on the past and now isn't the time to start. I don't know anything other than what I've seen of your memories. But it looks to me like you have a second chance here."**_

" _But what about the Otsutsuki?! They're still out there. I can feel it!"_

" _ **Then you'll just have to keep undercover then… From looking through your memories of this world I haven't seen a trace of them… or any evidence that they are involved. The only thing even close to them on this world is you."**_

Naruto hissed and pulled the blankets aside and swung his feet off the bed. He looked down at the floor, his mind racing. Was Kurama right? Had he been reincarnated just like Ashura and Hashirama before him? If that was true then why did his body look just like he did in his previous life? Was he here by chance or by design? Kurama said he'd felt his soul extracted… and Naruto knew that the Rinnegan and Sharingan had powers over that kind of thing.

Nagato had been able to bring the dead back to life and he wasn't even an Uchiha. What might an Otsutsuki be able to do? Was he perhaps put on this planet by the one who had destroyed his home and everything he ever cared for?

He grimaced. Kurama was right. He couldn't think about it right now or he'd go crazy. For today at least he needed to put his new discoveries to the back of his mind. He still felt weak, degraded… almost _frail_. He'd need at least until he recovered physically to start looking for answers.

" _ **Finally wised up have you?"**_

" _Fuck off… I'm still going to kill the bastard who took my family from me… even if I have to train for millennia to do it. But you're right. I can't think about what I've lost right now. I need to think about what I have. They might not be the family I started with, but Takami and Yukari are still a mother and a sister to me… and the girls… They'll still love me whether I call myself Uzumaki or Sahashi."_

" _ **Good… I hate it when you're depressed. Your mindscape gets all dingy and decrepit."**_

" _Thanks for the reminder. Now do me a favor and work on getting my body back up to scratch. I want to be able to start training soon. To begin with I'll work on Fuinjutsu… That would be the easiest skill to improve without drawing attention to myself in case someone is keeping an eye on me."_

Kurama chuckled. _**"Very well… but I warn you. Your body is not the same as it was. You still have chakra coils… thank Kami for that… but whoever tampered with your genetics made sure that you would never be the same physically."**_

" _And all that means what exactly?"_ Naruto didn't know what to make of that. He could remember Takami running tests on him before… and there was that time she took blood samples after her winged Musubi. Wouldn't she have known if his genetics were radically different from a normal human?

" _ **Eventually you could be stronger than you ever were… but from a genetic standpoint you're about as human as your Sekirei."**_

Naruto grimaced and pushing the oddity from his mind. _"Fine with me. I don't need to be human."_

Kurama snorted. _**"It's overrated anyway."**_

The blond rolled his eyes and cut his connection to Kurama feeling for the Sekirei/Ashikabi bond as he did so. He needed to bring his Sekirei in and explain the situation to them… at least in part. Naruto felt a ghost of a smile quirk the corner of his lips as he at last found the bond. Warmth and excitement washed over him as he brushed Musubi's mind with his own.

" _There… that was far easier than it used to be… But then again I guess I have an entire lifetime of experience now. Of course it would be easier."_ He closed his eyes and deepened the connection. Within his mind's eye he searched out each individual Sekirei he had winged.

All were nearby.

Naruto frowned a bit as he locked onto Matsu's bond, which was the clearest among his Sekirei. There was something there that shouldn't be… Like a restraint that kept him from connecting as well as he could. Naruto's frown faded, lips twitching into a small smile again as he realized she'd felt him reaching out. Abruptly the connection solidified and he could all but see her in his mind. It was oddly like what he used to do with Inoichi during the Fourth Great Shinobi War… or with Ino in the years that followed.

Naruto ordered his thoughts and sent them along the connection to Matsu. _"Could you come here…? I need to talk to you first so the others don't mob me."_

He felt a moment of shock from her, probably in response to his mental probe and then acceptance. Then a moment later he received flashes of light and color… images of the next room where Matsu was sitting across from Karasuba and Akitsu. Then the door to his left opened and Matsu stepped in.

He turned to her as she quickly and silently closed the door. She was trembling. Their eyes met… and suddenly she was across the room, slamming into him. She hit him hard, her arms wrapping around him like a vice and her face pressing into his chest. Before he could blink she was sobbing, tears spilling down her face, soaking into his shirt.

Naruto grimaced and mentally swore.

Half of him wanted to tilt her face up to his and kiss her, to assure her that he was here and that he would never abandon her… While on the other side of the coin his repressed memories were insisting he should treat her like Himawari when one of her best friends died. His instincts as a lover warred with those he had as a father for a moment before he finally went with the first option.

Matsu gasped, crying hysterically as Naruto pushed her away. "Naruto-ku…!?" Then he kissed her. She almost pulled back for a brief second then stopped. Barely an instant later her eyes fluttered closed and she melted against him.

He was taken aback by the sudden drain on his chakra reserves and the rush of emotion which followed, but accepted it as the price he needed to pay to reassure her. His arms curled around her and he took her with him as he stumbled backwards towards the bed. A few steps later he dropped down onto the mattress and Matsu straddled him, still too caught up in the kiss to do anything else. Naruto for his part couldn't help but deepen it. It felt so good… He found himself trying to imagine how it felt for her even as the room was bathed in honeyed light.

A second passed and Naruto's ears picked up on the click of the door opening again. He opened his eyes and broke the kiss just in time for Akitsu to claim his lips wither hers. He gasped into it. The dip in his reserves had been large before. Now it was massive. Naruto felt at least a third of his overall chakra leave him in a rush.

He heard Kurama cursing in the back of his mind and the fox frantically sent more chakra to him, attempting to refill his straining chakra coils. Meanwhile Naruto felt a twinge of pain behind his eyes… a byproduct of the loss of energy.

Akitsu moaned and behind her a dozen ice blue wings erupted out, the temperature dropping ten degrees. And yet her lips were warm and her hands as they infiltrated his shirt were scorching. He almost couldn't believe how hot she was to the touch.

She had approximately half a minute of contact before Karasuba ended it for her, thrusting her aside and initiating a kiss of her own. It was rough and hard and Naruto felt their teeth click together upon impact. Karasuba's hands tangled in his hair… his reaching out to pull her against him. Akitsu tried to push her away, but Karasuba ignored her. Even when Akitsu prodded her hard in the ribs with a needle of ice the Black Sekirei merely elbowed her back.

The ice user gave up and Karasuba finally slipped her tongue into his mouth. Naruto groaned in pleasure even as his chakra reserves took yet another drastic dip. In the next instant Karasuba's own black wings exploded into life. Their pulsing shade of black seemed to suck in the light and devour it.

And then she was biting him… hard.

Yesterday Naruto would have yelped in pain, but today he was a different person. He merely let her do it, knowing this was his punishment for making her feel helpless and weak. He didn't really mind the pain. It was nothing compared to what he was already feeling…

Karasuba pulled back, finally giving Akitsu room to but in again.

Naruto felt his manhood twitch as she kissed him, pushing her tongue in every bit as aggressively as Karasuba. Kami, these girls were demanding. Naruto pushed back and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into him. At the same time he felt his chakra reserves increasing, meaning that Kurama had finally been able to push more power through the seal. He was glad because Akitsu was draining his chakra _again_.

The sheer amount was staggering when compared to how small his reserves were at the moment. He'd need to get them to stop soon or they'd kill him a surely as a bullet to the head. _"K..Kurama! Push as much as you can and keep my reserves full before they drain me dry!"_

" _ **Got it…"**_ Kurama growled.

Naruto gasped as liquid fire trickled through his veins, obviously the effect of Kurama's chakra circulating at an increased pace and took note of Akitsu's reaction. Her face, flushed pink already, deepened to a rich scarlet. He could feel her pleasure through their connection. It was so clear and strong that he, if only for a moment, lost himself in it.

Before he even realized it Akitsu had been pushed aside and Karasuba was there again, demanding his attention, forcing another deep lip lock which left him desperate for air. It was hard simply to catch a breath between them. Matsu, Akitsu, and Karasuba were acting like starved castaways. The way they pushed and pulled, wanting more and more from him each time. And the way they kept draining his chakra with each kiss…

Eventually… about five minutes later… Naruto Akitsu at last pulled away from him, her lips starting to swell a bit from the force of the contact. Karasuba and Matsu looked no different and in fact Karasuba's lip was split from that first kiss.

All four of them took time to recover. Naruto panted, trying to get his heart rate under control and failing. With the three of them there, all breathless and panting, he didn't think he could stop the hammering in his chest. Kami they had the faces of angels, the bodies of succubae, and the appetite of starving wolves!

Naruto dropped back to lean against the wall. His eyes focused on each of them in turn. Matsu was in complete disarray, her lipstick smeared and her glasses askew. Akitsu was worse, if that were possible. Despite her power she was the literal definition of a hot mess. Her hair was all over the place and her usual composure in shambles. And Karasuba… she looked wild. Her silvery eyes possessing that strange combination of predatory intent, admiration, and contentment that he had come to associate with her.

It took a long time for Naruto to get himself under control… and even longer to find the words he needed to speak.

"I… I'm sorry…" he gasped out at last, still a bit winded. "I never meant to worry all of you so much. I promise… it won't happen again."

Akitsu pushed forward, nuzzling again his chest. "Ah… forgiven…"

He started, not understanding how she could forgive him so easily. "But.."

Matsu interrupted him. "Naru-tan… you didn't do anything wrong. We're just glad you're okay. So please don't look so sad." She leaned in as well and wrapped her arms around his torso. The link between them becoming almost completely clear… like a deep clear lake. Naruto could feel her relief like a physical thing weighing on him.

He smiled.

Karasuba let out a long sigh and leaned against the wall next to him. Her gaze lingered on his eyes and her hands drifted across the space between them. After a moment the warm sensation of her mind settled on his. It was a bit different from his other Sekirei… less like fanatical devotion… and more like determined admiration. She understood him better than most.

"Good to see you unhurt Naruto-kun." Karasuba said quietly, her eyes reflecting the relief that he felt from Matsu and Akitsu.

Naruto nodded and covered one of her hands with his own. "Thanks Suba-chan." He looked down at Akitsu and his smile widened. "Its… good to be back."

Matsu snuggled into his side, mumbling something that he wouldn't have caught the day before. But now with his senses working up to their previous level again he could hear her.

" _Please don't leave again…"_

He sighed and pulled a hand through her hair. That was one thing he didn't intend on ever doing again. Not even once. He would get stronger to make sure of that. No one would take his family away from him again. It had happened once on the day he was born. And a second time when that monster from the Otsutsuki clan destroyed his home.

Not again.

 _Never again._

Taking another deep breath Naruto turned to Karasuba. "Hey… I'm going to need to talk to everyone. I need to explain what happened to me. Where are the others?"

Karasuba shrugged. "It's almost midnight. Everyone was either sleeping or waiting for you to wake up. They'd probably know you're awake now if they were paying any attention."

Naruto accepted that and reached out again, feeling for his Sekirei. Musubi was awake. He could feel her… but it seemed as though she didn't realize that he was reaching out to her. Well… she was a bit of an airhead so he couldn't blame her for that. The twins were sleeping as was Tsukiumi. But there was also two other presences in the apartment that weren't his Sekirei.

"Suba-chan… who else is here?" he asked in a serious tone.

However she didn't seem worried. In fact she smiled. "Oh… just a little rat that came snooping around. She's called #65 Saki. Apparently she's MBI's spy. Matsu and I noticed her when she came in a little too close. It was easy to catch her once she revealed herself… I have her tied up in the guest bedroom."

"And the other one?"

Karasuba froze and both Akitsu and Matsu raised their heads. The redhead was the first to ask, "What other one?"

Naruto turned his head as he felt the Sekirei move from outside the room to inside. Karasuba looked at the far corner of the room just in time. It happened quickly. One moment the corner of the room was merely that… A corner steeped in shadow. And then out of that shadow stepped a girl.

She was short, about Matsu's height, with long dark hair and dusky skin like a girl from Kumo. Her eyes were a deep black eerily reminiscent of an Uchiha. And her figure was very similar to Matsu as well.

A second later she stepped fully into the room and stopped, her hands held behind her back and her dark gaze focused on him.

"Who are you?"

The girl smiled, showing brilliant white teeth… Everything besides her teeth and the whites of her eyes seemed to suck in the light from the room around her. "My name is Yahan. But you can call me Ya-chan… Naruto-kun." She bowed slightly. "I would be honored if you would wing me and make me your eighth Sekirei."

Naruto tilted his head to glance back at Karasuba. The Black Sekirei was looking at Yahan with something approaching curiosity. But there was also dislike in her expression… probably coming from the fact that she hadn't detected her before her Ashikabi. He turned back to Yahan and frowned.

"You don't seem like you're reacting to me."

She giggled and took another step towards him. Her eyes twinkled with a dark light. "Oh… but that's just because of my skin tone. If I was as pale as the rest of your Sekirei you'd be able to see properly… I'm actually blushing quite badly."

Naruto pushed a small trickle of chakra to his eyes, sharpening his vision. True to her words she was blushing. But on her dark skin it was very hard to tell. It was only visible as a slight rosy hue on her high cheekbones. He idly wondered why he hadn't seen other Sekirei like her before.

Yahan licked her lips, stepped forward again, and continued. "I've been watching you for ages Naruto-kun. I first saw you after you winged the scrapped number. It made me curious so I started following you. At first I felt nothing… but over time I would get these little flashes of heat when I watched you. Not long ago… a couple of days actually… I realized that I was actually reacting."

"And you decided to make your move now?"

She looked down at the floor and scuffed her bare feet over the carpet. "Well… more like I couldn't control myself anymore. When I saw you collapse yesterday I almost lost it. I thought you died when I couldn't sense our developing bond anymore. I decided that I would come to you when you woke up no matter what happened." Yahan's gaze rose up to meet his again. "And so here I am."

Letting out a long breath Naruto met her gaze evenly. "And you really want to be my Sekirei? I'm not exactly normal… even for a human."

"I know."

"And you're okay with that I guess."

Yahan nodded. "I wouldn't have anyone else… my Ashikabi."

Naruto grimaced momentarily. "I didn't really want to have anymore Sekirei. It will be hard enough already."

Matsu nudged him with a small frown of her own. "What do you mean by that Naru-tan?"

"Only that there is much more to me than meets the eye. I already said I would explain everything to the other Sekirei… but suffice to say I regained all the memories that have been causing problems for me recently. And I'm… no longer the same person." At his Sekirei's alarmed look he elaborated. "Or… to put it better I'm still Naruto… I'm just more complicated than I knew. I'm Naruto Sahashi but I'm also someone else."

"Ah… how?" Akitsu asked.

Naruto wondered how to explain it. Then hit upon something that might just work. "You know how reincarnation works right?"

They nodded.

"Well imagine if you reincarnated but kept all the memories of your past life. That's what happened to me I think. It's just a guess, but it's all I have."

Matsu and Karasuba shared a look then both of them shrugged. The redhead turned to him. "Do you still love me Naru-tan?"

Naruto paused, then nodded vehemently. "Of course."

"And you love all your Sekirei?"

He grunted. "Yes. That hasn't changed."

Matsu smirked. "Then what does it matter?"

"Ah… Don't care…"

Karasuba chuckled and punched him playfully in the shoulder. "You can't get rid of us that easily."

"I wasn't trying to." He grabbed her arm and pulled her into his side opposite from Matsu. "Now get over here. Stop acting coy."

The Black Sekirei blushed as his arm snaked around her waist. "Naruto…."

"What?"

She pointed at Yahan whose own blush was now plainly visible to the naked eye.

"Oh…" Naruto returned his attention to Yahan. "Sorry for getting off track like that."

The dark haired girl nodded quickly. "Yes… can we get to the part where you kiss me and take me as yours forever and ever and all that? I'm tired of waiting."

"Yeah yeah…. Come here Ya-chan."

Yahan squealed in delight and darted across the remaining room between them, landing on the bed and forcing her way between his Sekirei. "Now… I want you to kiss me like you were kissing #4 the other night!"

Karasuba blanched at the thought of being spied on while she was intimate with her Ashikabi… especially with how submissive she'd been. Matsu and Akitsu on the other hand both blushed hard, their thoughts derailing. Matsu started to giggle creepily as Akitsu's fingers infiltrated Naruto's clothes… seeking out greater warmth.

The blond felt their intentions through their bond and knew all too well what was coming next.

Yahan pushed her way in… gently shoving Akitsu off him so that she could take her place on his lap. She straddled him, her hands coming to rest on his shoulders. Up close he could see just how beautiful she was… like all the Sekirei he'd encountered. Yet she was more exotic than any of his girls. Her hair was black as midnight's shadow, her eyes like polished obsidian. Her skin was not so dark as Kirabi's had been… but hers was dark enough to match the tone of a mixed blood citizen from Kumo… or a girl from India in this world. She had the same high cheek bones too.

Naruto licked his lips as they locked gazes.

She leaned in, lips inches away from his as she spoke. "I'm not usually one for tradition Naruto-kun… but just this once I'll do what I'm supposed to as a Sekirei." Yahan took a deep breath and continued. "By the shadows of my vow, darkness will consume the perils of my Ashikabi."

His skin broke out in goosebumps as he felt the power in the incantation… and then she was kissing him. It was so very different from his other Sekirei. With an entire life of memories behind him the contact was given new meaning and depth. And he enjoyed it so much more.

With a feeling that was at once like a string being pulled taut and two magnets coming together… the bond solidified. Naruto shuddered as pleasure threatened to overtake rational thought. Before the feeling of first contact had been almost one sided. Now… oh it was so very different. Heat exploded in his chest. He could feel the ecstasy Yahan experienced through their bond right alongside his own pleasure. It was incredible…

Naruto deepened the kiss, taking control before Yahan had a chance to realize what was happening through the haze of her bliss. He pulled her against his chest, hands unconsciously pulling her clothes apart. Claws like razors appeared at his fingertips and cut at the strings holding her top on. It fell, revealing her lovely caramel breasts to him. An instant later her black cape was pulled off. Yahan moaned into the kiss and the damn broke.

Power flooded across the connection and pitch black wings, like those of a dragon steeped in shadow, exploded free of her back. Naruto gasped as his chakra reserves dipped into the red within the next three seconds… Kurama's chakra only just keeping him from hitting zero.

Luckily for him Yahan broke the kiss a moment later, her wings becoming intangible before his eyes. The shadows flitted about for a few seconds… then were reabsorbed into her. Naruto blinked in astonishment as Yahan's eyes changed from their inky black to a brilliant gold, the pupils like a flickering black candle flame.

"Naruto-kun…"

" _Incredible… it didn't feel like that before."_ Naruto let his head fall back, trying to slow his heartbeat.

It wasn't going to happen though.

In the next instant Akitsu pushed Yahan out of her way and captured his lips… again. He groaned, losing what little composure he'd managed to gain back. Damn it. How could he forget? He was hormonal teenager again… or still. Wait… no.. Fuck. This was too confusing to think about at the moment. Right now his mind refused to focus on the past or what he _should_ be doing.

At this exact moment… all he could think about was how blessed he was. To have four drop dead gorgeous women who wanted nothing more than to please him in every sense of the word. And well, not to put too fine a point on it. Any thoughts of resisting were quickly drowned out by the desire to reacquaint himself with his Sekirei in a _very_ physical fashion.

" _Fuck it… I want this…"_

Naruto's hand snaked around Akitsu's neck, pulling her deeper into the kiss as his other hand snaked down Karasuba's pants. Ten minutes later the only sounds coming from the bedroom were grunts and moans from Naruto and his girls…

It was good to be back.

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

-thump-

Musubi yelped, jarring awake as she rolled off the couch she'd been sleeping on to fall on the floor. An instant later she shot up, looking around in confusion. But there wasn't really anything to see. Tsukiumi was curled up on the couch opposite from her while Hibiki and Hikari had taken a bed in the other room. She couldn't see any of the other Sekirei…

"Muah!" Musubi stood up a d yawned, stretching as she did so to work the kinks out of her back. Then she walked out of the room to check on her Ashikabi. He'd been asleep for a long time it seemed. She hoped he was okay…

Her objective took her out of the second bedroom and into the living room. There she took note of the Sekirei Karasuba caught earlier. She was sleeping, albeit uncomfortably, on the floor. Musubi didn't pay her much attention and turned on her heel to go into Naruto's bedroom.

She opened the door, deciding to do as Matsu had told her and be less loud in the mornings, then peeked inside.

What she saw would have made anyone blush… and despite her inexperience with such things… Musubi couldn't help it. The sight she found herself exposed to was enough to make her weak at the knees. Naruto, her handsome and caring Ashikabi, was lying in bed… but not as she'd seen him last. He was naked this time. That alone would have made her hot under the collar but Akitsu, Matsu, and Karasuba were with him. Not only that, but there was another girl with darker skin lying next to him!

Musubi bit her lip and slipped inside the room. She closed the door behind her and crept closer to the bed.

The new girl was on his right side, tucked under his arm. Musubi noted how she looked different from other Sekirei she'd seen, absently wondering where she came from. As for Naruto's other Sekirei. Matsu was curled up on his other side next to Karasuba, who'd claimed Naruto's other arm. Akitsu was lying on his chest, head right over his heart.

Musubi's nose twitched.

Now that she was up this close they smelled kind of funny. She tilted her head to the side in confusion, wondering if she should wake them up. She wanted to kiss Naruto… to assure herself that he was okay and that nothing bad had happened. And yet she was unsure about waking them up.

It was obvious what they'd been doing. Matsu had taken the time to explain the… what did she call them? The birds and the bees? Something like that. And Matsu said that after two people had sex they usually didn't like being woken up early… So…

The decision was taken out of her hands as Karasuba stirred, eyes cracking open slowly. There was a long moment where Musubi held still, not wanting to be noticed. She was a little scared of Karasuba now that she'd been with her for a few days.

Karasuba sat up, glancing around. Her eyes settled on Musubi. "Hm? Musubi? What is it?"

"Um… nothing. Didn't know if I should wake everyone up."

The Black Sekirei blinked, still half asleep as Naruto yawned loudly, waking the other Sekirei in the process. "Well… It doesn't matter now."

Musubi nodded, watching her Ashikabi as he sat up. Akitsu mumbled groggily, something about pillows not moving, and pushed her face into Naruto's chest. Naruto chuckled and tilted her face up to his. He gave her a long smoldering kiss then adjusted her so she was sitting in his lap. The ice Sekirei moaned into the kiss before she settled down where he desired letting her eyes flutter closed a second later.

Meanwhile Matsu gave a yawn of her own, rubbing furiously at her eyes to clear her vision. She glanced to the side just in time to see Naruto break the kiss with Akitsu. "Mm.. morning Naru-tan."

He chuckled as she fumbled for her glasses, eventually finding them under the pillow. "Morning Matsu-chan." He put his arms around Akitsu's nude form, kissing the top of her head lovingly. "Morning to you too Akitsu…"

She hummed contentedly and mumbled something to low to hear but was probably something along the lines of good morning. Eventually Naruto turned to look at his newest Sekirei.

"How are you feeling Yahan?"

She scratched at her head, attempting to tame her monstrous case of bed head. "I'm good Naruto-kun. Mm… yesterday was amazing. I want to do that again soon."

"Yes yes… I know." He leaned over and kissed her but found himself caught when her arms wrapped around his neck, Yahan not allowing him to break away. His Sekirei watched for a long minute, until at last she broke the kiss… leaving both of them panting and flushed.

Naruto eyed her, unable to stop the growl that entered his voice. "Yahan… if you keep doing that I'll never be able to keep my hands off you."

Yahan's gold eyes twinkled. "Whoever said I wanted that? You can touch me anytime... Hehe, Anywhere too."

"Don't tempt me…"

From his other side Karasuba asked, "Tempt you into doing what?"

He glanced her way. "Well to.."

She cut him off with a kiss of her own ending it after only a few seconds had passed. "You're not stopping me from taking what I want Naruto-kun. I hope you remember that."

Naruto's eyes were half lidded with pleasure as he nodded. His mind was just a little _fuzzy_ with the pleasure filtering back to him through the bond. "Yeah… got it."

"Matsu gets a kiss now.. yes?"

He rolled his eyes and crooked a finger towards her. She giggled and moved to get her prize, only to bite back a moan as Naruto's hand caressed her Sekirei mark. Then he pulled her forward, biting her shoulder and sucking at her skin. She whimpered and her eyes squeezed shut.

Naruto grinned and at last claimed her lips. He teased her mercilessly, hands fondling her breasts, demanding her submission. She gave into him, let him dominate the kiss as the others watched. And when he finally broke contact she fell back, panting… her face cherry red and core dripping wet.

"N..Naru…"

"That's punishment for leaving me hanging last night… my evil little Sekirei."

Matsu gasped in a few more precious mouthfuls of oxygen and nodded. "This Matsu is sorry… I won't do it again." She smiled, her eyes betraying her true intentions. " _Maybe_ …"

He chuckled, knowing full well she had no intention of keeping the promise, and pulled her again his side, wrapping his arm around her and kissing the top of her head. "Well, it doesn't really matter."

"Um… Naruto-kun?"

Naruto glanced up to see Musubi. She looked like she was about to keel over from overstimulation. "Yes Musubi-chan?"

"Can i…"

He didn't let her finish. He knew what she wanted. One glance at Karasuba was all it took. The black Sekirei took hold of Musubi and all but tossed her in his direction. Akitsu reluctantly surrendered her position so that Musubi could be close to him, moving to sit next to Yahan. A second later Musubi found herself being dragged against her Ashikabi's bare chest.

Then he was kissing her and her wings burst free.

It was _so_ much better than she remembered.

She'd never thought that her somewhat more innocent kisses with Naruto had been bad… Of course not! But now they seemed to be more… But what was the word she was looking for? They seemed almost insubstantial in comparison.

The instant he pulled away and her wings faded away she found herself wanting for more. It was addicting. If possible even more so than it had been before!

Naruto on the other hand felt drained again. Musubi had stolen another good chunk of chakra from him. Not as much as Akitsu, Matsu, or Karasuba the night before… but enough for him to feel the effects. It seemed that after regaining his chakra the bond needed to be stabilized with each of his Sekirei. He'd need to make sure the twins and Tsukiumi didn't kill him.

Not that Musubi wasn't doing her best to end him already. She was already leaning up to steal another kiss. "Not so fast Musubi-chan… There are things I need to do first. We can have some fun later."

"Mou… Naruto…."

Naruto withstood her puppy dog eyes for about three seconds before he gave in. He captured her lips again, feeling her arms wrap around him as he did. At the same time he could feel her thoughts brushing against his. The contact was… warm… Musubi's bond to him was different from all of his Sekirei. It was more straight forward.

Akitsu was almost a master/servant bond. Her pure devotion to him regardless of her own wishes made her completely servile to him. Matsu's on the other hand was tainted somewhat by her lust. Karasuba's bond possessed a challenging undertone… while Yahan's was somewhere between Akitsu's and Matsu's bond.

Musubi's connection to him in comparison was purely one dimensional. She loved him… Nothing more and nothing less. And yet there was something else there… buried deep. It was a part of her, yet at the same time quite different. The strangest part about this odd feeling was that it too seemed to be bonded to him.

The connection was faint, but it was there. He broke the kiss again feeling a bit dazed.

"Naruto-sama?"

Naruto glanced to the side, meeting Akitsu's gaze. "WHa?"

"Ah… You seemed lost Naruto-sama."

He blinked then realized he'd been staring off into space for longer than was socially acceptable. "Sorry 'bout that. I was just lost in thought ya know." He looked back down at Musubi. "Anyway… I think it would be best if everyone got dressed. There are things for us to do today and I have a lot of things to tell everyone. I can't do that properly if you're all naked."

"Okay!" Musubi stole a peck on the lips and slipped out of bed. "I'll make something to eat for everyone!"

Naruto turned to Akitsu. "Would you go help Musubi-chan?"

"Okay…" Akitsu leaned up expectantly and he kissed her. Then she slipped out of bed and rummaged around till she found something to wear. Then she dressed, forgoing panties, and left the room. A moment later the sounds of pots and pans clanking could be heard.

"Naruto-kun, what exactly did you want to tell us?" Yahan asked.

He smiled and gave her a quick kiss as well. "I'll tell you when everyone is awake. Come on… we're wasting daylight."

 _-ring-ring-ring-_

"Um… whose phone is that?"

Matsu looked slightly annoyed. "Mine. Give me a sec Naru-tan. It's around here somewhere." The Sekirei of wisdom crawled to the edge of the bed and ruffled around in the remains of her dress.

Meanwhile Karasuba removed herself from the bed, checking around for what remained of her uniform. It didn't take her long to realize that her clothes had been…er… decommissioned during the excitement of the night before. She'd need more soon… A lot more seeing how she'd probably be going through them constantly. Either that or she would have to make a serious point to get undressed _before_ getting frisky with her Ashikabi.

- _ring-ring-ring-_

Karasuba found some small comfort in the fact that Yahan and Matsu shared this problem with her. Yahan's black outfit was rent in a half dozen places, well beyond reasonable repair while Matsu's dress had been torn open vertically.

"Ah! Here it is!"

Matsu lunged for her phone and lost her balance, falling off the bed into the pile of shredded clothes. She was up a second later, the phone open to her ear. "Hellooo? Um… yes this is Matsu. Is this…?" Everyone watched as Matsu's fair skin paled to a shade resembling parchment. "Please tell me you're joking. I know he's crazy but even he…"

Naruto leaned forward as Matsu started to shake. "What is it Matsu?"

She held up a hand to forestall him. "I… I see. And when did this happen? O..okay." Matsu lowered the cell and looked back at Naruto. "You're not going to believe it Naru-tan."

"What did that bastard do?"

"He…" Matsu swallowed hard. "He's created a new discipline squad. And… he did it with Sekirei who have already been terminated." Her eyes flicked to Karasuba. "The new leader… is Yume."

 **Ooo**

 **Ooo**

 **And that's the end of the chapter… jeeze this was a hard chapter to write.**

 **Now just to be clear on one thing. Naruto has all his memories of his life before, but there is a large separation between his memories as Uzumaki and Sahashi. Even though his life as Naruto Uzumaki has more value to him… his life as Naruto Sahashi still has more weight. He will have a hard time reconciling the two lives he'd led… especially with the powerful bonds he's formed with his Sekirei.**


End file.
